#Form4

The National Firearms Act (NFA) and the administrative, regulatory, and legal processes required to support it, are a de facto ban on firearms or accessories like silencers. There, I said it. But because the NFA is the law of the land, we have two choices if we want to shoot quietly: follow the rules or risk criminal prosecution. Given the choice, I prefer to pay $200, fill out the forms, and wait. Luckily a Silencer Central eForms approval has just come back in less than 90 days, which is about one-third of the time the process usually takes.

One of the biggest hurdles for most people when it comes to buying a suppressor (aside from the high upfront cost) is the fact that suppressors or other ATF Form 4 items usually take somewhere between 6-months to over a year to get back approved. For many, this means that their hard spent cash is sitting in a safe somewhere until a piece of paper with a stamp on it comes back to them almost a year later. However, according to Silencer Shop, the long waits seem to be over with the introduction of the ATF’s eForm process which Silencer Shop has seen bring back approved forms in as little as 6 days.

Good afternoon dear readers and Happy Independence Day for all our fellow Americans. Welcome back to another edition of TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by our friends at Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturer’s of the eagerly anticipated YHM R9 suppressor. Last week we debuted the Dead Air Nomad-TI, an excellent edition to their 30 caliber lineup. This week we go slightly off-grid with a Suppressed Pen Gun from Cotton Branch Custom Firearms – a two stamp Any Other Weapon (AOW) and silencer in a discreet form factor. No, I’m not an assassin in training; pen guns are unique firearms and suppressing one has been a goal of mine for a number of years. Let’s take a look.

I know what many of you are thinking right now: “Pete, this is a major crisis, no one cares about your g*ddamn short barrels, silencers or vertical fore grips!” That’s where you are wrong, friend. In these times that try men’s and women’s souls, the things that bring us joy are even more important. While you wait for that incubation period to pass, you don’t need an additional timeline weighing you down. Have no fear, our friends at the American Suppressor Association are reporting that the ATF’s NFA Division are processing NFA applications at a standard pace. Insert joke about the ATF, NFA timelines, the $200 ransom and the Constitution here.

We often talk about the past year and a half inside the world of the National Firearms Act (NFA) as being difficult for manufacturers, distributors and dealers. Not that we need reminding, but proposed legislation as well as the new application processes imposed in mid 2016 have created a bit of turmoil, mostly for the silencer community. But consumers have also been hurt by extraordinarily long wait times, causing many to remain on the sidelines until the backlog clears.

After waiting nearly a year and a half for two ATF Form 4s to clear NFA purgatory, the last thing I wanted to hear was that my paperwork had been returned to my dealer with an error letter. Even worse is that I had no one to blame but myself. So as a warning to anyone who is getting ready to submit ATF forms as part of an application to transfer or make NFA items, I am issuing this public safety announcement: don’t forget to f*^%ing sign them.

In another hopeful sign of silencer ownership becoming even more mainstream, a new private digital marketplace has opened its “doors” to allow for the sale of used suppressors. SilencerBroker.com is focused on linking together individuals, dealers and distributors to provide an outlet for previously owned, outdated and overstocked silencers.

Practical or not, short-barreled sawed off shotguns are nothing if not cool. Two short, big bores on a frame with nothing but a pistol grip says “bad***” like little else.

Note to all readers. This information was in error. I had an attorney who represents many FFL’s across the country with license matters as well as NFA cases contact me. I’ve consulted with him several times on these types of matters. He informed me there has been no change in the law or BATF policy. Local law enforcement does not have to do the fingerprints.

After months of anticipation, the new National Firearms Act (NFA) rules and procedures are finally here. And as much as we have covered 41F and its predecessor 41P here at TFB, there are people that still have questions about the process. Like me, for example. So we figured, why not go to the source – ask the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) for clarification on the new processes to make and transfer NFA items. As it turns out, they were happy to oblige.

Yes, you read that right: More than $2,000,000 in NFA stamp applications in one submission. From Silencer Shop’s Facebook page:

In what should not be a surprise to anyone by now, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) released the new National Firearms Act (NFA) forms that will be used to apply to make and transfer registered firearms as required by law. We have included links to the new forms as well as additional information on the definition of responsible parties below. Of note is the below listed deadline: forms submitted on or after July 13, 2016 must use the new forms and procedures. We hope to bring you additional details on the post-41F process in the days to come.

So, you have always wanted a suppressor but figured that they were too expensive or the paperwork wasn’t worth your time. Or, you never considered owning a silencer until your idiot brother-in-law spun that monster brake/compensator on his AR at the range last week. Fear not, we are going to hold your hand through the process of researching, buying and owning suppressors. It really is pretty simple.

Silencers in the last 5 years have gained significant popularity with what is now 42 of 50 states having them legalized for purchase. The most common pathway people are taking to buy them is with a trust. If you want to buy a silencer, you must simply submit a copy of your trust along with 2 background checks (Form 4s). The alternative is to buy a silencer as an “individual” which involves a lot more paperwork, signatures and time.