Just thought I would share my recent experiences with buying a silencer.

I bought it on 8/20/24 at a local shop with the silencer shop kiosk.
Certified my documents on 8/26/2024 with the dealer.
Received the tax stamp 8/29/204 and picked up my can.

This was my first one, I e-filed form 4 individual.

So off into this very expensive rabbit hole!

Man I remember waiting 18 months for my first suppressor and SBR stamps. I’m in the market for 2 suppressors now but neither of them are in stock that I want.

I have clients who manufacture suppressors, and they have been telling me for a while how much easier it is to purchase one now.

Good timwbto buy one. Hard time to find one in stock.

Yep I've been eager to buy one, but haven't seen the one I want in stock and don't want to settle for something else. No rush, some day it'll happen.

Definitely would have like to have gotten a different brand, however this one did great overall I am very pleased.

I started my NFA journey with a From 1 SBR in 2015. Didn't apply for a suppressor until a little over 2 years ago.

I have all my NFA items registered under a trust. First suppressor took 307 days. Most recent one was under 45 days if I remember correctly. It was part of a batch of three that got approved at the same time. Longest one was about 120 days. I just certified another Form 4 suppressor last night with my dealer. Will see how long it takes for approval.

Problem with the fast approvals is that many of the most popular suppressors are out of stock and have back order waiting lists. If you can't find what you want there may be other good options out there.

Two great resources for silencer testing are Pew Science and Thunder Beast Arms Corporation Silencer Summit.

https://pewscience.com/rankings

https://thunderbeastarms.com/sound/summit2024/

The suppressors I want are on back order all the time now.

I have a gun trust set up but I never used it due to having to wait a year plus to get one but if it’s moving this fast I want to pick up a couple asap. What’s the process for buying them? Where do I go and who do I see?

The fast approval times are for individual rather than trusts. I'm not sure what trust times are these days.

What you want? I recently got one in 3 days

I purchased one to be transferred to my local FFL that had a kiosk to complete the process in June of last year (2023). Completed everything within a week. Then waited…and waited..and waited. Then in early December of the same year; I decided to get my own FFL. I filled out the paperwork; received my appointment with ATF for interview; conducted the interview; and the first week of January this year (2024) I was an FFL. Took less than 1 1/2 months. In April of this year (2024) I applied for my SOT; and was still waiting on my suppressor tax stamp of 2023 to be processed. My local FFL had the suppressor the entire time; but could not release it until ATF finished processing the paperwork.
The “light bulb” must of finally turned on when my SOT application was processed, because I finally received the go ahead to pick on my suppressor in May (2024).
It took nearly a year as a consumer for me to pick it up. It took about only 7-8 weeks total to to become an FFL with an SOT.

I used the Texas Gun Experience they had about 5 30 caliber cans to choose from and they had the kiosk from the silencer shop.

Pretty much any gun shop that has a Silencer Shop kiosk will be able to guide through the entire process in short order. As others have stated, going the trust route is NOT quick. You might want to consider the "individual" application for a quick turnover.

I appreciate the help, so what happens to them once you die in an individual filing?

Looking at a Polonium K for my 556 SBR dedicated can either Polonium 30 or Omega 300.

They are supposed to be turned into an FFL with an SOT. And the family member that wants to take possession of it has to do their own Form 4.

good to know, thanks JG

no reason for anyone not to buy one anymore.

JG is incorrect. Your beneficiaries/heirs can take possession of them and transfer them tax-free on a Form 5.

Just plan for their distribution like any other asset and you'll make it trouble free for your family.

I was misinformed. Thank you for the correction..

Trusts are running more in the 90-120 day time frame, there have been some recent reports of 30 day approvals on trust.

The good news is that they are batching forms. So if you file for one today, then file another next month, and another a month after that, you can get all three approved in one batch when they process the oldest one.

So just start buying one silencer every couple weeks until they all get approved.

From 5's get priority processing and are usually done in a few days. Also the beneficiaries can inherit into a trust.

The executor of the estate possesses it until the Form 5 is approved.

Does every firearm and suppressor need to be itemized in the family trust? Or as an FFL w/ an SOT can I simple state all inventory and personal items? I am currently setting up my family trust for my daughter. Just want to make sure my attorney is structuring it correctly. Trusts can also be set up by a paralegal which probably wouldn’t have a clue.

Great comment