What’s the process for buying a silencer?

Buying a silencer/suppressor

I get asked all the time “so what does the process for buying a suppressor look like”, so I decided to write down how the process goes in a step-by-step guide, as well as link all the appropriate documents and such. Currently, the typical timeline for Title II transfers is averaging 200 days for Trust Form 4 transfers. Current ATF processing times can be found here.

  1. The very first step is deciding which suppressor you want. We can guide you through this, but at the end of the day you’ll have to decide what you want out of a suppressor and what your budget looks like.
    • Our current recommendations are:
      • 22 LR – Rugged Oculus This can is “modular”, meaning it’s built in two sections and can be run in short or long configuration. It’s also user-serviceable, meaning it can be disassembled and cleaned. This is important for rimfire cans because of how dirty they can get. These currently run 515$.
      • 9mm – YHM R9 is a great little can that we’ve run on everything from a 22LR to a 350 Legend. They’re a great budget friendly suppressor that performs very well. These currently run 580$.
      • 30 cal – Diligent Defense Enticer L or Enticer L Ti – Pew Science has this can rated as the quietest suppressor tested on 308 Win supersonic ammo. The L is made of Stainless Steel and weighs 17 oz, and the L Ti is made of Titanium and weighs 10 oz. If weight is an issue, go with the Ti model. Otherwise save the money and go SS. The SS model runs 615$, and the Ti model runs 865$ currently.
      • We can help you with any caliber you’re looking to suppress, but these are what we get asked for on a consistent basis.
  2. Next you’ll pay for your suppressor and we’ll get it ordered if we don’t already have it in stock. The manufacturer/distributor will have to complete an ATF form 5320.3 for ATF approval to ship the item to us, and after approval will ship the item to us. (Electronic version currently takes 10 days on average, paper version currently takes 27 days on average.)
    • Sometimes we have cans as soon as the next week, and sometimes it may take 6 weeks or more. While we wait, we work on the next step so that we’re ready to file the day we have your can in hand at our shop.
  3. At this point, we’ll start working with you to get all the necessary paperwork together and ready to file, and you’ll need to decide if you want to file your Form 4 as an individual or if you want to file as a Trust. (We’ll detail this choice below) So what all do we need:
    • Passport photo – We can take your pic, or you can get on done at Walgreens, etc. The requirements for a “passport photo” can be found here.
    • Fingerprints – ATF requires that each “responsible person” on your Trust, or just you if filing individually, submit fingerprints. You can do this one of two ways. 1), you can submit a physical FD-258 card by mail, or 2), you can have your prints converted to an EFT file and submit them electronically.
      • We have FD-258 cards, and we’re able to “print” you and complete this card for you. We offer this service for 25$ if you choose to use us for it. You can also have this done at your local Sheriff’s office or most Police departments. Rankin county currently does not charge you for an FD-258 card, but it does require time to go to the Sheriff’s office in Brandon to get the card done.
      • We also have the ability to convert an FD-258 card into an EFT file. But why would I want an EFT file? 1) EFT files can be submitted electronically along with your application and cannot be lost in the mail, and 2) if(or when!) you buy your next suppressor you’ll already have the file and won’t need to be fingerprinted again. We offer this service for 50$ if you choose to use us, or you can make an appointment to have it done at The UPS Store in North Jackson by a company called PrintScan. They charge 65$ for the service. If you choose to use us for this, we’ll do an FD-258 card just like above, and then we’ll convert it to the electronic file that you’ll have forever.
    • Trust – So, what is a Trust and why would I want one? A Trust is a fiduciary agreement that allows a party (known as a trustee) to hold assets on behalf of one or more beneficiaries. So why does this matter when it relates to NFA items? This matters because you can allow your friends and family (THAT YOU TRUST COMPLETELY!) to possess your NFA items legally. Possessing an NFA item illegally carries a 10 year prison sentence and a 250,000$ dollar fine if convicted, so it’s critical that you follow the law precisely with these items! Using a Trust makes this simpler, and that’s reason 1 why we recommend it. If you file as an individual, you are the only person legally allowed to possess the item. So, for example, if you have a can on your home defense rifle next to your bed and you go to work but your wife is still home, ‘technically’ she just became a felon because ‘technically’ she’s now in ‘possession’ of the item. These may be technical nuances, but they matter. This sounds scary, and honestly, I sorta mean for it to. I don’t want to see my customers set themselves up for failure and I couldn’t in good conscience recommend otherwise. I’ll be happy to file it for you as an “individual”, but there won’t be any question that you know I recommend against it.
      • So where do I get a Trust? I recommend, both personally and professionally, that you use GunTrustGuru.com. Full disclosure, I do get a small referral fee when you use him, but I’d recommend him regardless for several reasons. 1) Jim Willi’s credentials speak for themselves. You can find them on the Home page of his site. 2) His trust is written in a way that doesn’t require you to send the ATF a list of every firearm you have when applying for an NFA item. You can add your other personal firearms but because of the use of proper language in the Trust your firearm list is “technically” not part of the Trust. 3) His Trust can be written in such a way that you aren’t required to use a Notary Public for executing documents. This is quite handy when adding/removing Trustees, for example. There are other reasons to use a Trust, but these are the reasons I specifically use GunTrustGuru. His Trust is currently priced at 79.95, and you can go through his website and have your Trust in a matter of minutes. If you’re unsure of anything about it, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to walk you through it.
    • Completed ATF Form 5320.23 – This is the “Responsible Persons Questionnaire”. We’ll help you prepare the form, and you’ll need to answer the questions and sign/date. We can do this while you’re at our shop so it doesn’t require a second trip. Or, we can email it and you can print/complete/sign/scan and email it back to us.
    • Username and PIN number from the ATF E-Forms site – Unless there’s some odd circumstance, we’ll be filing your ATF Form 4 electronically. This requires that you create an account at Eforms.atf.gov/home . When you create this account, write down your username and PIN and have that information handy for when we file your form.
    • Your other personal information, as listed on your Driver’s license, EXACTLY! Also, you must have an up to date Identification listing your current residence correctly. If you’ve moved and you haven’t updated your license yet, NOW is the time to get that done. We can’t file your paperwork until you do!
  4. Now that the hard part, that isn’t all that hard honestly, is over, we will file your Form 4. We just have to wait till we have your can “in hand” to be sure we have the exactly correct serial number. Mfr’s may tell us what serial number they are sending us, but we still can’t file until it’s physically in our possession.
  5. At this point we will file your paperwork and the wait begins. This is the step where the 9-13 month wait occurs. (Current ATF processing times can be found here.)
  6. Once we’ve filed your Form 4, we will send the required documentation to the officer listed in the CLEO section of the RPQ and Form 4. You don’t have to do anything, we’ll take care of this step for you, but we want you to know it’s happening so you don’t have to wonder.
  7. When we’ve received your tax stamp(What Form 4 applies for), we’ll notify you that your can is ready to be picked up.
    • Any Title II transfer items left unspoken for by transferee for more than 10 days from the date Magnolia Armament notifies the transferee that the item is ready for pickup will incur a $5/day storage fee. This fee is capped at 500$.
  8. When you come to pick up the item, you’ll complete an ATF Form 4473, but no background check is required at this point as the background check was part of the Form 4 process and has already been completed.
  9. Go to the range and enjoy!