Suppressors v. silencers

WHAT DO SUPPRESSOR’S (SILENCERS) DO AND WHAT ROLE DOES AMMUNITION PLAY?


There are a few different ways you can reduce the sound of a gunshot: simply sticking a potato on the barrel (which, by the way, doesn’t work so well) to adding a suppressor or silencer to your gun. The terms “suppressor” and “silencer” are used interchangeably and are used to significantly reduce the sound of the gunshot by the way they vent off the gasses. Both the United States Department of Justice and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) refer to suppressors as "silencers.”

Keep in mind that a suppressor (silencer) does not completely silence the shot, but knocks it down to a whisper of its former amplitude. Often the loudest thing about a suppressed firearm is the sound of the action itself as it ejects and reloads for the next shot. Suppressors (silencers) are National Firearms Act ("NFA") items and are regulated by the federal government, requiring approval and registration. Suppressors (silencers) are illegal in some states.

While Suppressors address one part of the gun noise, subsonic ammunition addresses the other. The speed of sound is a bit over 1100 feet per second, so any bullet that exceeds that velocity will cause a mini sonic boom when it leaves the gun. You can eliminate a sonic boom by using ammunition that is subsonic. However, the use of subsonic ammunition generally will not be worth it without a suppressed weapon.

While suppressors are also referred to as "silencers," the latter is misleading because no firearm can be made completely silent, as the term "silencer" implies. Functionally, a suppressor is meant to diminish the report of a discharged round, or make its sound unrecognizable. Other sounds emanating from the weapon remain unchanged. Even subsonic bullets make distinct sounds by their passage through the air and striking targets, and supersonic bullets produce a small sonic boom, resulting in a "ballistic crack." Semi and fully automatic firearms also make distinct noises as their actions cycle, ejecting the fired cartridge case and loading a new round. Despite being misleading, the term "silencer" is still widespread.

Florida Gun Show - September 24-25, 2011

Just to let you know, there is a gun show this weekend (September 24-25, 2011) at the N.W. Florida Fairgrounds in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. If you are thinking of purchasing an NFA firearm, such as machine guns, silencers for your guns, suppressors, short barreled shot gun / rifle or any other Class 3 weapons that falls under the National Firearms Act (NFA), you may want to consider a gun trust (also referred to as an NFA trust or NFA gun trust). If you select to place the NFA item into a trust, you do not need to provide fingerprinting or obtain the law enforcement certification required by the ATF for individuals purchasing Class 3 weapons.

If you have any questions regarding Class 3 weapons or gun trusts / NFA gun trusts, you may contact the Davis Basta Law Firm, P.A. We will be happy to assist you. Also, remember that we typically take approximately 24 – 48 hours to prepare your trust if it is needed immediately.

We hope you enjoy the gun show.

July 4th Machine Gun Shoot

Come celebrate Independence Day at the Hernando Sportsman's Club with its annual July 4th Machine Gun Shoot. Bring your own machine gun to the range for lots of noise and fun! Several cars will be used as targets and destroyed!


Shooters $20; Spectators $2; Under 15 Free. 9:30am

Hernando Sportsman's Club
16121 Commercial Way
Brooksville, FL 34614
(352) 597-9931
Email: hsci@gate.net

If you want an affordable option for owning your Class III items, such as a machine gun, a Trust is a great idea. Make sure to visit the web page of Davis Basta Law Firm or call our office at 727-938-2255.

Holidays are coming up; traveling out of Florida State with your Class III item?

Even if you have a properly prepared gun trust, if you are planning on leaving the State of Florida with a Class III item, beware! First, as our gun trust blog posting on April 22, 2010 points out, certain states do not even permit class III items. Therefore, we suggest that you contact an attorney in that state who is familiar with the NFA, and the issues involved with owning a class III item. Many times we can recommend an attorney in another state that is familiar with the NFA, and other gun laws. Secondly, because ATF requires advance notice of any movements concerning class III items, you must notify and consult with them. More importantly, remember that possession is a critical issue with any class III item. Refer to your gun trust to see who may be in possession of your class III item.


Happy Holidays and Safe Traveling!

Gun Trusts in Collier County

We want to give a "Thank You" to John at http://www.classiiidealers.com/ for alerting us to some information we were unaware of regarding Collier County.  He noticed an advertisement of ours regarding gun trusts, and wanted to ensure that we were aware of, and properly informed others of the fact that there are other methods of acquiring class III items which don't involved having a gun trust. 

As some of you are aware, our blog posting on March 26, 2010 dealing with "Do I need a gun trust?" does refer to the fact that a gun trust isn't the only way to acquire class III items (our website does as well).  Another method is to utilize a corporation, or getting the law enforcement certification that many law enforcement agencies are reluctant to give.  Based on what John informed us of, the Collier County Sheriff's Office does give the certification for machine guns, but not for silencers.  This is good information for someone to know of if they reside in Collier County.  We always welcome additional information from our friends from various gun dealers and gun websites, like http://www.classiiidealers.com/, to be able to provide good information to anyone interested in a gun trust. 

It is always a good idea to look into all of your options available when deciding on whether to utilize a gun trust or not.  What may be a good option for one person, may not be a good option for another.

Posted by: The Davis Basta Law Firm, P.A., http://www.davisbastalaw.com/, a law firm located in Palm Harbor, Florida, which prepares firearm trusts for individuals throughout the State of Florida. http://www.floridaguntrust.com/

What is the best name for my gun trust?

The name of the gun trust is entirely up to you.  For many people, one of the main benefits of a trust is the fact that it is private, and not accessible via public records.  As a result, many people choose a gun trust name that does not have ties to their own, or to the fact that it is a gun trust.  However, many people also choose to name a trust after their family name, such as the “Smith NFA Trust” or the “Jane Doe Trust”.  One rationale for using a family name is that if it ever needs to be presented to anyone, it will make it easier for a lay person, or even law enforcement, to know that you are connected to the gun trust.  These are all valid considerations when naming the gun trust.

Posted by: The Davis Basta Law Firm, P.A., http://www.davisbastalaw.com/, a law firm located in Palm Harbor, Florida, which prepares firearm trusts for individuals throughout the State of Florida. http://www.floridaguntrust.com/

Will ATF be coming up with new regulations to further restrict the use of gun trusts in relation to NFA firearms?

In the past, we have contacted many different individuals at ATF about the use of firearm trusts.  Due to the relatively new nature of these gun trusts, there are many unanswered questions.  Based on our prior discussions, the real question is not if there will be further regulations geared towards gun trusts, but when and what type of regulations that will be coming in the future.

Due to this uncertainty, most attorneys who specifically practice in this area of gun trusts, like our firm, will go the extra mile in attempting to take extra precautions when advising their clients as to the use of gun trusts in relation to class III items.

Posted by: The Davis Basta Law Firm, P.A., http://www.davisbastalaw.com/, a law firm located in Palm Harbor, Florida, which prepares firearm trusts for individuals throughout the State of Florida. http://www.floridaguntrust.com/