.223/5.56 Suppressors

No, .223/5.56 silencers are not illegal. You can very legally purchase and own a silencer in 42 of our 50 U.S. states. (If you are hoping to buy one in California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Delaware, Hawaii, or Washington D.C. you would be out of luck!)

If you are in the 42 states that have legalized silencers, you can trust that Silencer Central is there with you. We are licensed in all of those 42 states. Regulations are on a state-by-state basis, so take a look at our state-by-state guide on silencer ownership.

Don’t worry about traveling with your suppressor. Unlike other NFA items, you do not have to notify the ATF of your traveling or relocating plans.

Absolutely. A .223 is a popular caliber to use with a suppressor and we offer a full line of .223 suppressors in our catalog.

Of course, this answer to this question is subjective. A suppressor is an investment and some people won’t be able to get as much value from a suppressor as others. Factors like price, material, weight, caliber, length, dB suppression level, and more will all impact this answer.

That being said, we think the benefits of shooting suppressed are well worth the price and wait time. Check out our options, and send us an email or give us a call at 888-781-8778, and we can help you find the silencer that makes the most sense for your needs.

The answer to this comes down to basic physics. Rapidly-expanding gas is responsible for the bulk of the sound’s volume, along with the miniature sonic boom that accompanies a bullet traveling faster than the speed of sound (which is most bullets).

With a silencer, you can bring that volume down to a level that’s safe enough to be exposed to without hearing protection. Most .223/5.56 suppressors reduce sound between 30-40 dB.

For the most part, 5.56 suppressors are intended for rifle caliber sizes such as 223 Remington or 5.56 NATO. They’ll also comfortably accommodate rimfire cartridges. If versatility is your main priority, we’d recommend a multi-caliber silencer like the BANISH 30, which can handle everything from .17 caliber to .300 Weatherby.

For more information on calibers, check out our full guide to choosing the right suppressor for your caliber.

It’s best to shoot a 5.56 through a dedicated 5.56 suppressor or multicaliber suppressor. In terms of performance alone, you will not get the same quality of sound reduction shooting a 5.56 through a 9mm suppressor.

In terms of safety, keep in mind that 5.56 rounds are rifle ammunition. They will pack much more force than a 9mm pistol-caliber suppressor is designed to handle. If the 9mm silencer is sturdy and crafted well enough, it could possibly hold up. But we can’t in good faith say that we’d recommend going this route.