History: How Silencers Became Regulated

[BigWaylon]

reposting something Kel posted over on NFATalk:

Figured I'd post this to my peeps here. A while ago, I'd been asked to help write a history of "Why are silencers on the NFA / regulated?" piece, and it just got published.

Background: My whole career, I'd heard peers say "We just don't know why silencers were included in the 1934 National Firearms Act." Just recently, I saw an interview with a fellow manufacturer (who should know better) repeat some gunshop folklore, muse about poaching, and conclude with the woefully incorrect proclamation, "The NFA put Maxim out of business overnight!"

Perhaps that was a cringey last straw moment. I love history, so over my decades in the silencer business, I'd actually bothered to research the origins of regulation. I don't call myself an expert – just a student of the craft. But I know a bit about silencer history in that I've researched the subject, collected a lot of source documents, and respectfully listen to my elders. It just felt like *someone* should write down the truth for the next generation's sake and offer timeline facts to counter the guesses and myths. The end result isn't all pretty, but it is all accurate.

In the past, I'd talked with folks about co-writing a book on the subject, but RECOIL knew I had the data now, so... this summary is a fast track result. The newsstand print magazine has a necessarily-shortened version, whereas online has a bit more cohesive term paper. There's an even longer "book" version, but I was convinced to "keep it short" for the article.

Shrug. I find the subject interesting, maybe you will too. If so – check it out!

https://www.recoilweb.com/noiseless-...bc-175161.html

 

[Derek8404]

Thank you for not calling them “suppressors”. I’m annoyed by that more than I should be.


I just finished the article. VERY informative and well thought out. Thank you.

Suppressor is a much more accurate term. In fact I will only refer to them as “silencers” when I’m talking to someone who knows nothing about them and likely won’t know what I’m talking about if I say “suppressor”.

 

[willpgn]

“But, like most laws that attempt to prohibit a behavior by banning an item, it didn’t stop human nature.”

”But from this point in time, the only news reports written about silencers would of course involve criminal use.”

 

[BigWaylon]

I call them “silencers” because that (along with “muffler”) is what the NFA calls them. Along with NYS law.

I feel that calling them suppressors is like calling a magazine a clip.

…and you can’t choose “suppressor” from the drop down menu in eForms. 😎

Matter of fact, I had the NFA sections on AR15.com redone several years ago…and one of the changes was to rename the Suppressors section to Silencers. 😁

 

[Sleazy P. Martini]

Suppressor is a much more accurate term. In fact I will only refer to them as “silencers” when I’m talking to someone who knows nothing about them and likely won’t know what I’m talking about if I say “suppressor”.

So... an ATF agent?

 

[DrScaryGuy]

Either one is fine with me. branded or technically correct.

 

[GymB]

Have we stopped calling them fuel filters?

 

[JohnFreeman]

Fun Fact: HP Maxim also started the American Radio Relay League, the large Amateur Radio organization that still exists today : https://www.arrl.org/

 

[wildman326]

Very interesting read. Thank you.

 

[Car0linab0y]

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Scsmith42]

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Gator]

I remember as a young'un back in the mid 1960's, dad had a silencer for a .22 rifle wrapped up in a handkerchief in a cabinet in the attic. No idea what happened to it ( I do have the cabinet, though ). He liked to tell stories of squirrel hunting with it

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