A probably dumb question. A person has one on their rifle. He is the one with the license for it. Can another person shoot with it?

Yes, but not take possession of it, unless that person is listed on a trust.

So, if you had a friend there with a suppressor, you can shoot with it, but that friend cannot leave that suppressor with you.

Agree. They can’t lend it to you to go take off on your own and use, but you can shoot it in their presence. Just like going to a gun range and renting/shooting their full auto’s. If you are listed as a trustee on the trust, then you can take “possession” of it. I would not be hunting in a deer blind by yourself with someone else’s suppressor even if they were at camp.

So the person who owns it has to be with the person. How close? In the same pasture but different blinds?

First... I’m not a lawyer. The best answer is for you to call the BATFE and ask them. https://www.atf.gov/contact. They have no problem answering any questions you might have. I have called them before and they were more than happy to help.

Second...Class 3 firearms are not something you want to make a mistake with as the fines are huge... talking $250,000 huge. I can’t imagine someone owning one would ever even risk letting it be out of his/her “possession” in the first place, but I’m sure there are people who have

No doubt these toys are cool, and fun to shoot. Personally I think with some dealers doing all the paperwork for you it makes it too easy for people to just “sign here” and not really realize what they are exactly agreeing to.

How much does one cost? How much is the permit? Is a one time charge? Do you get one for a certain caliber? Can they be changed between different rifles or do you have to have it for a specific rifle? Sorry for all the questions.

Don’t be sorry for the questions at all.. they are really cool! As a law abiding citizen you are allowed to have them, so exercise your rights and get ya one... just do it the right way.

It’s technically not a “license” you are after. It’s a tax stamp that you will receive in the mail after the ATF does a major background check on you. It costs $200 and looks just like a stamp you would put on a letter. (It’s the only stamp to my knowledge that has never gone up in price). You have to keep the paperwork (or a copy of the original) with the class 3 item at all times.

You can interchange them between firearms all you want so long as the suppressor is rated for that caliber. (Some .22Lr suppressors aren’t made to handle supersonic rounds.)

Here’s the kicker... it takes a long time to get that stamp. I asked the nice folks up at eagle gun range last weekend what the current wait time was and they said it’s running about a year. That means you have to pay for the suppressor and the additional $200 for the stamp up front and then sit and wait with it in “jail” until you get the stamp back before you can go take it home. It really sucks. They are just slammed with everyone wanting them and they need to hire more employees. Or better yet, just take suppressors off the NFA list all together.

Buy one suppressor that is rated for .300 Win Mag, and use it on everything that large, and smaller. Look at decibel reduction, length, width, weight, probably going to be a 100% titanium suppressor. Plan on $1000 for the best, yes they may be cheaper. My research led me to Crux Ark Neo back in January.

Form 4 to the ATF is $200 and then wait. The worst part is the wait, not the money. But, you've purchased something that you literally will never wear out, the rest of your life. Once your tax stamp arrives at your dealer, the dealer will call you. You go take possession of your tax stamp, and your suppressor and you are done with any fees of paperwork forever.

Once you hunt suppressed, that is the only way you will hunt.

If you purchase your can from a gun range, then you can go shoot it anytime you want...before you get your stamp. It just has to stay there (in their “possession”) when you leave.

took six months to get 4 form 1 wasn't as long as if thought it might be

You need to be close enough to it to be able to immediately answer any question about it a game warden might ask. The other side of a pasture won't cut it.

I assume they are screwed to the barrel. What about getting a barrel threaded? Better to buy one already done so? Do you have to buy a can before you do the paper work for the stamp?

Any quality gunsmith should be able to thread a barrel for you as long as it has adequate diameter. You buy the can and the stamp together as the serial number from the can goes on the stamp paperwork.

My curiosity has me wanting a suppressor just because I can.

Is the process faster if you use an NFA trust? (I'm old and every year counts).

Are there single suppressors that will work on a .22 Ruger, 9mm Glock, and a yet to be purchased hunting rifle (recommendations welcome).

I saw NFA trusts on this board a few years ago but I can't find it now. Who does them at a reasonable cost.

Sorry if I hijacked this thread. It got me interested again.

NFA Trusts are actually a little slower that getting it as an individual right now. Or was when I did my last one. Trust used to be faster, it is not the case anymore.

You could buy one of the silencer co hybrids that will handle all the calibers you listed. Although it isn't great to shoot a ton of 22LR through center fire suppressors the hybrid is user serviceable so you can clean it really well if you start to get too much buildup from the 22 ammo.

Thanks for the info. I still like the flexibility of the trust, if I can believe what I have read.

I'm not concerned about the .22. I would like to be able to switch between a pistol and a hunting rifle.

Any suggestions on who can help form a trust and explain the options?

Also, what rifles are best suited for a suppressor? I favor bolt actions for hunting.

Find a Silencer Shop kiosk near you. Go there and they will walk you through it. The trust is 25 bucks for a single shot trust. It takes about 20-30 minutes to do everything and you're done other than auto signing the documents the next day on your phone. Registering a pre-owned trailer at the county tax office is more complicated.

Also, it is my understanding, where ever the suppressor goes, so should a copy of the Tax Stamp. You can be asked for it by game warden, PoPo, etc

I do not know the actual deal on that but do keep a copy in every truck, every case and a electronic copy on my phone just in case.

Only a federal LEO can ask for your suppressor paperwork. You’re not obliged to show it to anybody else.

Horrible information. Silencers are prohibited weapons in the Texas Penal Code, the tax stamp and associated paperwork is what proves it's possessed in compliance with federal law.

Sec. 46.05. PROHIBITED WEAPONS.

(a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells:

(1) any of the following items, unless the item is registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives or otherwise not subject to that registration requirement or unless the item is classified as a curio or relic by the United States Department of Justice:

(A) an explosive weapon;

(B) a machine gun; or

(C) a short-barrel firearm;

(2) armor-piercing ammunition;

(3) a chemical dispensing device;

(4) a zip gun;

(5) a tire deflation device;

(6) a firearm silencer, unless the firearm silencer is classified as a curio or relic by the United States Department of Justice or the actor otherwise possesses, manufactures, transports, repairs, or sells the firearm silencer in compliance with federal law.

Thank you for the clarification Ntx.

Well it looks like it is kind of a Gray Area.

I do agree that it is a good idea to have a copy around just in case. I keep copies in my console.

If there's nothing to show the silencer is in compliance with the NFA, that's called probable cause, because they are prohibited weapons in Texas unless they are in compliance with federal law. Zero gray area. Responsible owners of such items such as myself, always carry proof of compliance. I would just hate to see some decent person, read your previous post, and tell the game warden piss off if asked about proof of compliance. Their wife would have be dredging up the bond money shortly after that.