How How To Register A Home Made Suppressor

Freeman Pinhould1981 · Wednesday, December 22, 2021

ATF requirements for home made suppressors

I was just wondering what hoops a person would have to jump through if they wanted to build their own suppressor. Do you have to get a note from the principal to start working on a homemade design or apply for a suppressor permit before the build can be started. How does the ATF control this?
Do a search for BATF Form 1

Get this approved before you build anything. Unless you want your door busted in and your cat stomped on.
You fill out that BATF form 1 send it in with $200, your fingerprint card and whatever else is required for the tax stamp for the suppressor and then wait 6 months or longer to get approved to build the suppressor and the tax stamp to go with it. Then and only then when you get the tax stamp can you build that one and that one only suppressor. I looked into doing it, but decided that it was simpler to just buy one with the appropriate paperwork from a Class 3 dealer and the six month plus wait for approval that was proven to work rather than try to build one that might work. It's too bad that the fed's are involved in the suppressor market as all it is is just a muffler that will help prevent hearing loss. They definitely are not as quiet as Hollywood makes them out to be. They are a lot a fun to shoot though.
Originally Posted by Mike Bryant

They definitely are not as quiet as Hollywood makes them out to be. They are a lot a fun to shoot though.

Are you shooting subsonic?
al
Originally Posted by alinwa

Are you shooting subsonic?

al

I've shot a .22 LR subsonic and it's the quietest. Shot a 6.5 Grendel, .223, and 6 PPC supersonic and they were a lot quieter than without the supressor, but not nearly as quiet as Hollywood makes them out to be. The 6 PPC is a bolt gun and it's quieter by far than the AR's.
Originally Posted by Mike Bryant

I've shot a .22 LR subsonic and it's the quietest. Shot a 6.5 Grendel, .223, and 6 PPC supersonic and they were a lot quieter than without the supressor, but not nearly as quiet as Hollywood makes them out to be. The 6 PPC is a bolt gun and it's quieter by far than the AR's.

Yeahhhh, subsonic is freaky quiet IMO, I've seen Rugers (MKs and 10-22s)where the loudest sound is the action clicking...and the thump of the bullet.
Quite simple move to New Zealand, no forms, hoops or anything involved, anyone can own one, make one , buy one, or sell one......Ian
you have some strange firearms regulations in the USA, anyone can own a gun but not a suppressor..
a suppressor is just a metal tube, some shins and springs.. most plumbers have everything needed to build a suppressor in their toolbox.

here in Iceland we have extremely strict regulation about owning firearms and how they are kept but a suppressor is not a firearm and anyone can own one, the only limitation is using them.. to put a suppressor on a gun is modification and for that we need a permit, but for building one and having it is not limited in any way, even kids can build and own suppressors but they can't own or use guns.

for rifles at the range a suppressor should be mandatory, shooting a .300WM with a suppressor is like shooting a .22LR, there is no need for hearing protection.
Originally Posted by dansig

you have some strange firearms regulations in the USA, anyone can own a gun but not a suppressor...

You think that's odd, you should see our tax code. We have corporations that make billions in profits, pay no taxes, even get a tax credit.
Originally Posted by dansig

you have some strange firearms regulations in the USA, anyone can own a gun but not a suppressor..

a suppressor is just a metal tube, some shins and springs.. most plumbers have everything needed to build a suppressor in their toolbox.

here in Iceland we have extremely strict regulation about owning firearms and how they are kept but a suppressor is not a firearm and anyone can own one, the only limitation is using them.. to put a suppressor on a gun is modification and for that we need a permit, but for building one and having it is not limited in any way, even kids can build and own suppressors but they can't own or use guns.

for rifles at the range a suppressor should be mandatory, shooting a .300WM with a suppressor is like shooting a .22LR, there is no need for hearing protection.

The great thing about New Zealand and suppressors is we can fit them to rifles and use them with no paperwork involved to do so. ......Ian
Originally Posted by Ian_Owen

The great thing about New Zealand and suppressors is we can fit them to rifles and use them with no paperwork involved to do so. ......Ian

Which is the way it should be. It's just a muffler. The two most used words by older benchrest shooters are "Huh?" and "What?".
You can order a near complete can for about $100 and do the legal part later.
Originally Posted by Canmaker

You can order a near complete can for about $100 and do the legal part later.

If you are thinking about doing anything at all with suppressors, find and read through the regulations a couple of times BEFORE you make a single move. You will thank yourself for putting forth the effort.....
-Dave-
Originally Posted by Mike Bryant

You fill out that BATF form 1 send it in with $200, your fingerprint card and whatever else is required for the tax stamp for the suppressor and then wait 6 months or longer to get approved to build the suppressor and the tax stamp to go with it. Then and only then when you get the tax stamp can you build that one and that one only suppressor. I looked into doing it, but decided that it was simpler to just buy one with the appropriate paperwork from a Class 3 dealer and the six month plus wait for approval that was proven to work rather than try to build one that might work. It's too bad that the fed's are involved in the suppressor market as all it is is just a muffler that will help prevent hearing loss. They definitely are not as quiet as Hollywood makes them out to be. They are a lot a fun to shoot though.

That's the first part. After you've got your hall pass and built the silencer (or as soon as I had the tube complete when I did it) your suppressor must be marked per ATF guidelines - name of mfg(you), city/state of mfg, serial no, etc. Marks must be legible, at least 0.003" deep, and there's a minimum size, but I don't recall what it was. Having been down this road, I'd just buy next time - just about anything you could possibly want is out there.
GsT