Question about the application process...

larryh1108

larryh1108

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I've decided to get 2 suppressors, one for .22LR and one for 9mm.
I began the Trust process and will have that set up soon. I understand it pretty well.

My question is: Do I have to purchase a suppressor before I apply for the stamp(s) or can I wait for the stamp(s) and then buy the suppressors?

I assume it is $200 per suppressor so that would be $400 up front for the stamps. Of course that hurts. If I have to wait 6 mos to a year for the stamps, this allows me to get more funds together for the suppressors.

I understand I can't take possession until I have the stamps but what is the point of your suppressors sitting at a dealer for a good length of time because you can't take possession? What if he closes or is robbed and your stuff is sitting there?

Hopefully I can wait to buy the suppressors but the law is the law so I will follow the rules.
Thanks!
 
The SN of the actual firearm (including silencers) goes on the form. You don't get a stamp and then go pick out an item. So, stamp and silencer are basically purchased at the same time. Unless you want to buy a silencer and hold off on filing the paperwork (and paying the $200) for some reason.
 
larryh1108 said:
I've decided to get 2 suppressors, one for .22LR and one for 9mm.
I began the Trust process and will have that set up soon. I understand it pretty well.

My question is: Do I have to purchase a suppressor before I apply for the stamp(s) or can I wait for the stamp(s) and then buy the suppressors?

Yes you must purchase one as the model and serial number (assuming you're buying a commercial one) of the suppressor must be put on each form. So you will have one trust and two forms (one for each can). When approved the stamp will be attached to the top of the form for that suppressor.

I assume it is $200 per suppressor so that would be $400 up front for the stamps. Of course that hurts. If I have to wait 6 mos to a year for the stamps, this allows me to get more funds together for the suppressors.

Yes $200 per suppressor so for two that is $400 in addition to the price of the two suppressors. Most shops will have you pay upfront for the suppressor but a few do have payment options.

I understand I can't take possession until I have the stamps but what is the point of your suppressors sitting at a dealer for a good length of time because you can't take possession? What if he closes or is robbed and your stuff is sitting there?

I believe some places (that you can buy suppressors from which would have to be the place you purchase from) that have a range on the property will allow you to shoot your suppressor while it is in ATF jail but it cannot leave the property. If you buy from a shop that does not have a range it sits in a safe for the 5-8 months that it takes for the ATF to approve your forms. If he closes I think he is required to turn it all over to the ATF and they hold it, but I'm not 100% there. I believe it has happened here before in the last year or so.

Hopefully I can wait to buy the suppressors but the law is the law so I will follow the rules.
Thanks!
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Thanks guys. It makes sense. I thought the $200 was a tax and not item specific but I now see the item itself is registered by serial#. So, it is what it is.
 
larryh1108 said:
Thanks guys. It makes sense. I thought the $200 was a tax and not item specific but I now see the item itself is registered by serial#. So, it is what it is.
Click to expand...

Based on the current laws, a suppressor is a "firearm", and whether you buy a commercial one or build one yourself it has to have a serial number. The $200 is a "tax stamp", an actual stamp similar paper/ink to a USPS stamp but designed for the ownership of a particular group of items based on the NFA. When you are approved the ATF writes in ink your serial number and date across the stamp after affixing it to your form. Googling will show you the actual stamp. In the 1930s for the NFA of 1934 the $200 tax stamp was issued to limit ownership as I believe if it were adjusted for inflation, would be the equivalent of nearly $5,000 in today's dollars. A lot less folks would be going after them if they had to pay $5,000 each time. Thankfully the government failed to keep up.

There are other items that fall under the NFA rules (Destructive devices, Any other Weapons, Short barreled rifles/shotguns, etc) that have different tax values, some as little as $5 but I'm not that up to speed on that too well. BigWaylon would know those inside and out if you want to know. All still would require the background check and a wait so there is no going around that.

It isn't hard to own a suppressor (assuming your background is clear) just a little bit of work to get finger printed, pictures, and a trust set up (you mentioned you wanted to go that route). Normally a trust related to a NFA item has more wording than a standard revocable living trust that one can get from an online do-it-yourself site. The extra text is related to the ownership of and what to do in the event of your passing and other items. Most shops will give you a free general NFA trust or if you wish, you can contact an attorney that is educated in the NFA and firearms to set one up.

The hardest parts are parting with your cash and just waiting which after the first 2 months you hopefully forget about. Don't let the discourage you. Wait times are coming down but still seem to be in the 5-6 month range down from 8-14 months. There are several great vendors here that sell suppressors and can help you out. I have used two shops for my 3 cans, one is defunct and the other is Scott at Tarheel State Firearms and I'd go back to him without hesitation. More and more gun shops are carrying suppressors as they become more mainstream, but just do diligence with the prices as the ones in my home town are marked up 40-50% above the going rate from shops that focus mainly on NFA items.
 
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tod0987 said:
There are other items that fall under the NFA rules (Destructive devices, Any other Weapons, Short barreled rifles/shotguns, etc) that have different tax values, some as little as $5 but I'm not that up to speed on that too well. BigWaylon would know those inside and out if you want to know. All still would require the background check and a wait so there is no going around that.

The extra text is related to the ownership of and what to do in the event of your passing and other items.
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Two things:

1. All Form 1 applications are $200; all Form 4 applications are also $200, with the single exception of the $5 AOW transfer. $200 stamps are green, while the $5 is red.

2. While I somewhat agree about the "gun trust" and extra wording, you could remove 90% of the language in mine and it wouldn't change anything. A majority of it is simply quoting existing statutes...ones that are required to be followed whether it's mentioned in the trust or not.
 
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