If you’ve been in the gun world for more than a few years, you’ve probably noticed a major shift: suppressors and short-barreled rifles (SBRs) are everywhere.
What used to be exotic, expensive, and out of reach for the average gun owner has become commonplace—thanks to industry innovation, falling prices, and a growing understanding that these tools aren’t “scary,” they’re practical.
But here’s the problem: while demand is exploding, these items are still treated like contraband under the National Firearms Act (NFA). The Silencer Shop Foundation’s fight to dismantle the NFA is about aligning law with reality, because suppressors and SBRs are no longer niche items, they’re mainstream gear.
The Growth: Suppressors and SBRs Go Mainstream
According to ATF data, suppressor ownership has grown dramatically:
285,087 registered silencers in 2010.
Roughly 3.5 million registered silencers by early 2024
Explosive growth in recent years
The same trend applies to SBRs
- SBR registrations have surged as AR-15 pistol builds and factory SBR options became more affordable.
- The ATF’s own brace rule inadvertently proved its popularity, admitting there are millions of braced pistols in circulation, effectively putting SBR-style firearms in the hands of millions of law-abiding Americans.
This isn’t a fad. This is a shift in what American shooters consider normal equipment.
Why the Boom?
The surge in suppressor and SBR ownership is driven by practicality and performance, not trend chasing:
- Hearing Protection: Suppressors dramatically reduce noise at the shooter’s ear, helping prevent permanent hearing loss and allowing for safer training environments.
- Improved Maneuverability: Short-barreled rifles are easier to handle in tight spaces; ideal for home defense, vehicle use, and modern CQB training.
- Enhanced Training & Hunting: Lowered sound signature allows shooters to communicate more effectively on the range, hunt without spooking game from miles away, and avoid disturbing nearby properties.
- Innovation & Affordability: Competition among manufacturers has led to lighter, quieter, and more affordable options, putting high-performance suppressors and SBRs within reach of the average gun owner.
Outdated Laws Don’t Match Modern Reality
Despite this mainstream adoption, the NFA still treats these items as if they were dangerous contraband. You still have to:
- Pay a $200 tax that was designed to be prohibitive in 1934
- Wait months (or years) for government approval
- Register with the ATF like you’re asking permission to exercise a right
This is absurd when you consider that:
- Suppressors are required by law in many European countries for hunting and range use
- SBRs are standard-issue for nearly every military and police unit in the world
- Criminal use of legally owned suppressors is virtually nonexistent (ATF data shows it’s statistically insignificant)
Treating Suppressors and SBRs Like “Normal” Guns
This is what the Silencer Shop Foundation and its partners are fighting for:
- Cash-and-Carry Suppressors: Just like a rifle or shotgun, no more tax stamps, no more wait times.
- No More Legal Gray Areas: AR pistols, braced pistols, and SBRs all treated the same, no confusion, no traps for the law-abiding.
- Expanded Market Access: When these items are deregulated, prices drop, quality rises, and more Americans can responsibly own and use them.
What Full Normalization Would Mean
Treating suppressors and SBRs like standard firearms wouldn’t just benefit individual gun owners; it would reshape the shooting community and the industry as a whole:
- Widespread suppressor use would drastically reduce hearing damage among recreational shooters, hunters, and instructors.
- A deregulated market would drive innovation, create jobs, and boost revenue across the firearms industry.
- Law enforcement resources could be redirected toward violent crime rather than tracking paperwork violations.
- Eliminating unnecessary restrictions would bring federal law back in line with the Second Amendment’s original intent.
Final Word
The surge in suppressor and SBR ownership proves what we already know—these aren’t dangerous curiosities, they’re useful tools. Millions of Americans have already voted with their wallets, and it’s time for the law to catch up.
The Silencer Shop Foundation is fighting to make that happen. When we treat suppressors and SBRs like every other gun, we not only make shooting safer and more accessible, we strike a blow for freedom itself.
Visit SilencerShopFoundation.org to get involved, donate, and help push this fight over the finish line.
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