With the passing of the law in South Dakota that cleared the regulatory process for suppressor ownership should deregulation happen at a Federal level, the fight now moves to the additional 15 states that currently have laws on the books that would make it unlawful to buy a suppressor if they were taken off the National Firearms Act (NFA).
Silencer Central Founder and CEO Brandon Maddox is charging full-speed ahead into working to resolve these issues in each of these states, and has testified in both Mississippi and Kansas before their state legislatures. The goal is to make sure you have the right to buy a suppressor in every state where it is legal.
A little backstory
There is a strong movement to get full deregulation of suppressors with the victory of getting the $200 tax removed from the Federal Stamp process for suppressors, Let's get them off the National Firearms Act, abolishing the approval process. This is something that Silencer Central fully supports. However, it does create a few problems in select states that have existing laws on the books. These laws make suppressor ownership legal only if the buyer has the Federal Stamp. If suppressors can be bought without the Federal Stamp, it technically makes buying a suppressor in these states illegal.
“We fully support removing suppressors from the NFA,” said Brandon Maddox, Silencer Central Founder and CEO. “However, we found that 16 states where suppressors are legal have some existing law requiring the Federal Stamp. South Dakota is among them. We have been working with the NSSF in each of these states to get these existing laws and classifications overturned. This paves the way for unhindered ownership when we get silencers off the NFA. We are lucky that the bill is moving along swiftly in South Dakota and my hope is that we can use this state as an example for passing similar bills in the other 15 states.”
Mississippi Suppressor Deregulation
The nest state to take up the clarification was Mississippi. Under Senate Bill 2316, the language of the bill would remove the requirement of a Federal Stamp for the legal purchase of a suppressor. Maddox was quick to act, just as he was in South Dakota.
“Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in strong support of Mississippi Senate Bill 2316,” Maddox said in a statement to the Mississippi State Senate. “This legislation will modernize state law by removing outdated state-level regulations on firearm suppressors and clarify the legality of making, manufacturing, selling or possessing firearm suppressors.”
“Suppressors are safety tools,” Maddox added. “They reduce hearing damage for sportsmen, law enforcement, and recreational shooters. This legislation responsibly supports Mississippi’s outdoor heritage, its hunters, and its shooting community.”
Mississippi State Senate passed this bill with a vote of 52-0. We will keep you posted of further developments.
Kansas Suppressor Deregulation
A similar bill is currently sitting with the Kansas state legislature. Like with Mississippi and South Dakota, Mr. Maddox testified on behalf of law-abiding gun and suppressor owners.
“Senate Bill 503 would remove redundant state regulations on silencers,” Maddox said in a statement to the Kansas Senate. “As a manufacturer and dealer, I can attest that duplicative state regulations add unnecessary complexity and uncertainty regarding suppressor ownership and transfer. This negatively affects both businesses and consumers. Passing it will help further support Kansas’ strong heritage of hunting and shooting freedom.”
Currently there has not been a full vote on Kansas Senate Bill 503.
What can you do?
The best advice we can give you is to stay informed on suppressor laws in your home state. It never hurts to send a thoughtful and respectful message to your state-level elected officials to share your support for a similar measure. You can also share with you representatives on the national level that you support full deregulation. It is always a good idea to make your voice heard.
The following states currently have laws on the books regulating suppressor ownership: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. We know South Dakota is coming off this list. Let's get the rest taken care of, too, with your help.
We will do our best to pass along any news we hear as well. If it starts to look like deregulation will happen, rest assured that we will work hard to iron out as many issues as we can across the country. This company started because one man thought that buying a suppressor needed to be an easier process, and through that vision the process is now easier than it has ever been. Silencer Central is currently the easiest way to buy a suppressor. We will continue to work toward making it even easier. That is our commitment to you.
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
