It's not hard to buy a silencer* but will require lots of patience. There could be a few weeks or a few months between steps. If you are like me and spend more on shipping something than it's worth just to have it tomorrow, you are going to have a hard time with this. I spent several sleepless nights worried about it. You have to turn that part of your brain off.
OK, everyone that wants to buy a silencer... Let's go ahead and get started on step one:
1. Decide if you want a pistol or rifle silencer, the calibre you want, the gun it's going to go on, the manufacturer you would like to get it from, and lastly the model suppressor you want. Don't worry about dealers, where you are going to get it from, or anything else just yet. Just make a wish list.
2. Find the silencer you want for sale somewere in this country on a FORM 3! OK, you need to scour the interwebs and call dealers and check message boards. If you have the patience of a sea turtle then you COULD order straight from the manufacture but beware it could take anywhere from two weeks to over a year for them to build your suppressor. Don't believe them if they say it's only going to take a "couple of" weeks. Once they get your money the couple of weeks will go on forever. We can skip all that headache by just finding one for sale right now. Here are a few places to get started:
http://www.sturmgewehr.com/webBBS/nfa4sale.cgi
http://www.westernfirearms.com/wfc
http://politesocietyinc.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?cat=3
Here are a few in Louisiana:
http://www.landrysguns.com/
http://www.redstick-firearms.com/suppressors/suppressors.html (has lots of .22 silencers in stock)
If a Louisiana dealer has your suppressor in stock then consider it your lucky day. You'll be shooting in no time.
The Form 3 status is very important. Form 3s are what dealers use to transfer these things between each other tax free. It will only take a few weeks (really this time) to move a Form 3 suppressor from out of state to Baton Rouge. If it is on a Form 4 that means it's already been transferred to an individual and you will have to pay a $200 tax to move it to a Form 3 and then ANOTHER $200 tax to move it to a Form 4 again. It will also take twice as long. So bottom line, find your new toy on a Form 3, avoid the Form 4s unless it is something ultra rare you just have to have, deal with the manufacture only as a last resort.
Of course, call to make sure they are actually in stock. Some dealers don't update their websites very often.
3. OK, I assume everyone stayed up late last night, found their dream suppressors on Form 3s, talked their wives into letting them buy it, and have their credit cards ready. Good, the hard part is over. It's smooth sailing from here. Just kidding. Next step is to call your Class III dealer and let him know you have a transfer coming in. Call up the dealer with your Form 3 suppressor, pay him for it, give him the info on your dealer, and then crack open a beer. You just bought your first silencer. The waiting begins.
4. So your new child arrived at the dealer safe and sound. Super! If the dealer has a range attached then go play with it! Otherwise, bring a camera, take some pictures, and fondle it for a while. You won't be seeing it again for some time.
5. We need to do a few things simultaneously.
A. Get your dealer to fill out and submit a Louisiana "Application to Transfer Firearm". If it's an experienced dealer he should already have the form and know what to do. If not, you can get it here: http://www.lsp.org/pdf/chFirearmTransfer.pdf
B. Get your dealer to prepare a "Form 4 packet". It should have in it two Form 4s, two ATF fingerprint cards* (more on those later), and two Certification of Citizenship forms. If he doesn't have these for some reason you can get everything here:
Form 4: http://www.atfmachinegun.com/form4.pdf
Citizenship Form: http://www.atf.treas.gov/forms/pdfs/f533020.pdf
Fingerprint Cards: Call (304)616-4500 (they are free, order a bunch)
C. The dealer will fill in his pertinent information on the Form 4s. You fill in the rest. Where it says to state a reason you need it I put "For all legal purposes". Don't worry about the photo right now. I will tell you why later. If you have ever filled out the Form 4473 to buy a gun then this is very similar, except easier. Fill out the Certification of Citizenship forms and put them away somewhere. We don't need those right now.
D. OK, we need Sheriff Sid Gautreaux to sign our Form 4. Put on some nice clothes, fix your hair, leave your CCW in the car, and take both copies of your Form 4, a copy of your drivers license, and your phone number down to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office and take the elevator up to Sheriff Gautreaux's office. Explain to the guy at the desk that you are there to drop off a document for Sheriff Gautreaux. The guy at the desk is very old and kinda hard to talk to. Just keep insisting to see the secretary he'll eventually call her. Smile and BE VERY NICE TO EVERYONE THERE! He doesn't have to sign these things and only does it because he supports law abiding gun owners like you. Other people in his office doesn't support his view so you may very well encounter someone who will try to interrogate you and make you feel like a wannabe assassin (happened to me). Don't worry about it. Suck it up, smile, don't get into an argument, and drop the Form 4s off with Sheriff Gautreaux's secretary. Also be prepared for them to lose the Form 4. That's why we aren't going to worry about the pictures just yet.
E. Go down to the Louisiana State Police headquarters on Independence Blvd. and get your fingerprints done with the ATF fingerprint cards. It will cost $10 and you will need either a business check or a money order. The gas station down the street on Florida and Wooddale sells money orders. Again, leave you CCW in the car. This is a police station. Your CCW isn't allowed.
F. Wait.
*The deal on the fingerprint cards: There is a section on the card called ORI (originating agency). The ATF wants their information filled in on the ORI section. If you have blank cards you can fill it in yourself. But you are going to have trouble finding blanks since they come pre-printed from the FBI. Some people have gotten by with the wrong ORI while others get kicked back to do over. No sense in taking a chance. I had to do mine over.
6. Sgt. Paxton will call you in a few weeks with a bunch of questions about why you are trying to buy a silencer. Don't worry about it. He does this to everyone. He also asks if you have an alarm system, safe, if you are married or not (why is that relevant?), why you need one (Collecting purposes is perfectly acceptable, so just say that), and will ask about any prior arrests you may have on your record. Just answer everything honestly. If you don't have a gun safe you may want to get a cheap $20 gun safe just so you can answer yes to that question at least. I didn't have an alarm system, had a prior arrest, and still got the signoff.
7. Wait some more.
8. OK, so Sheriff Gautreaux's secretary called you up and said your signed Form 4's are ready. GREAT! Now go pick them up. Remember, leave your pistol in the car. When you get there look over the Form 4's signature carefully. Make sure he signed both copies. Then head over to Walgreens and get some passport photos made and tape them to the back of the Form 4.
9. Wait for your Louisiana approved paperwork to arrive. It should come to your mailbox. If not, call the State Police at 925-GUNS and ask what the status is. Have your serial number ready. If they don't have you in the system be ready to call your dealer and verify they submitted the paperwork.
10. OK, great almost ready to go to the post office. If you are 100% positive everything on the Form 4 is good to go then you can mail it all off yourself to the ATF along with a check for $200 made out to the "Department of the Treasury." If you aren't positive stop by the your dealer and have him look it over. I would highly advise you insist to mail your Form 4 packet off yourself. Dealers are notorious for sitting on them for weeks. Trust me.
11. Nothing left to do but wait. Keep an eye on your bank account. You should see the $200 check cash in just a few days.
Will add more later on how to check the status of your Form with the ATF. That's the fun part.
There are two Class III dealers in Baton Rouge:
Will
Red Jacket Firearms
(225) 448-3167
Kevin
Precision Firearms (X-treme Weapons)
(225) 754-7264
I recommend Kevin only because he has an indoor range you can play with your new toy in while you wait for your approved Form 4 to come back. Will is very busy making machine guns full time and may not be able to give you much personal attention, but he's very experienced doing these type of transfers.
*What's the difference between a suppressor, silencer, can, muffler, moderator, and snuffer? Nothing. It all depends on who you are talking to. When dealing with the ATF and State of Louisiana you will be saying silencer. When dealing with European shotgunners you'll be saying moderator. Crazy South African firearm instructors? It's a snuffer to them. Guys on the internet and most dealers? It's a suppressor. The lady at the post office if you have to insure it and mail it back to the factory for something? A muffler.
OK, everyone that wants to buy a silencer... Let's go ahead and get started on step one:
1. Decide if you want a pistol or rifle silencer, the calibre you want, the gun it's going to go on, the manufacturer you would like to get it from, and lastly the model suppressor you want. Don't worry about dealers, where you are going to get it from, or anything else just yet. Just make a wish list.
2. Find the silencer you want for sale somewere in this country on a FORM 3! OK, you need to scour the interwebs and call dealers and check message boards. If you have the patience of a sea turtle then you COULD order straight from the manufacture but beware it could take anywhere from two weeks to over a year for them to build your suppressor. Don't believe them if they say it's only going to take a "couple of" weeks. Once they get your money the couple of weeks will go on forever. We can skip all that headache by just finding one for sale right now. Here are a few places to get started:
http://www.sturmgewehr.com/webBBS/nfa4sale.cgi
http://www.westernfirearms.com/wfc
http://politesocietyinc.com/cgi-bin/imcart/display.cgi?cat=3
Here are a few in Louisiana:
http://www.landrysguns.com/
http://www.redstick-firearms.com/suppressors/suppressors.html (has lots of .22 silencers in stock)
If a Louisiana dealer has your suppressor in stock then consider it your lucky day. You'll be shooting in no time.
The Form 3 status is very important. Form 3s are what dealers use to transfer these things between each other tax free. It will only take a few weeks (really this time) to move a Form 3 suppressor from out of state to Baton Rouge. If it is on a Form 4 that means it's already been transferred to an individual and you will have to pay a $200 tax to move it to a Form 3 and then ANOTHER $200 tax to move it to a Form 4 again. It will also take twice as long. So bottom line, find your new toy on a Form 3, avoid the Form 4s unless it is something ultra rare you just have to have, deal with the manufacture only as a last resort.
Of course, call to make sure they are actually in stock. Some dealers don't update their websites very often.
3. OK, I assume everyone stayed up late last night, found their dream suppressors on Form 3s, talked their wives into letting them buy it, and have their credit cards ready. Good, the hard part is over. It's smooth sailing from here. Just kidding. Next step is to call your Class III dealer and let him know you have a transfer coming in. Call up the dealer with your Form 3 suppressor, pay him for it, give him the info on your dealer, and then crack open a beer. You just bought your first silencer. The waiting begins.
4. So your new child arrived at the dealer safe and sound. Super! If the dealer has a range attached then go play with it! Otherwise, bring a camera, take some pictures, and fondle it for a while. You won't be seeing it again for some time.
5. We need to do a few things simultaneously.
A. Get your dealer to fill out and submit a Louisiana "Application to Transfer Firearm". If it's an experienced dealer he should already have the form and know what to do. If not, you can get it here: http://www.lsp.org/pdf/chFirearmTransfer.pdf
B. Get your dealer to prepare a "Form 4 packet". It should have in it two Form 4s, two ATF fingerprint cards* (more on those later), and two Certification of Citizenship forms. If he doesn't have these for some reason you can get everything here:
Form 4: http://www.atfmachinegun.com/form4.pdf
Citizenship Form: http://www.atf.treas.gov/forms/pdfs/f533020.pdf
Fingerprint Cards: Call (304)616-4500 (they are free, order a bunch)
C. The dealer will fill in his pertinent information on the Form 4s. You fill in the rest. Where it says to state a reason you need it I put "For all legal purposes". Don't worry about the photo right now. I will tell you why later. If you have ever filled out the Form 4473 to buy a gun then this is very similar, except easier. Fill out the Certification of Citizenship forms and put them away somewhere. We don't need those right now.
D. OK, we need Sheriff Sid Gautreaux to sign our Form 4. Put on some nice clothes, fix your hair, leave your CCW in the car, and take both copies of your Form 4, a copy of your drivers license, and your phone number down to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office and take the elevator up to Sheriff Gautreaux's office. Explain to the guy at the desk that you are there to drop off a document for Sheriff Gautreaux. The guy at the desk is very old and kinda hard to talk to. Just keep insisting to see the secretary he'll eventually call her. Smile and BE VERY NICE TO EVERYONE THERE! He doesn't have to sign these things and only does it because he supports law abiding gun owners like you. Other people in his office doesn't support his view so you may very well encounter someone who will try to interrogate you and make you feel like a wannabe assassin (happened to me). Don't worry about it. Suck it up, smile, don't get into an argument, and drop the Form 4s off with Sheriff Gautreaux's secretary. Also be prepared for them to lose the Form 4. That's why we aren't going to worry about the pictures just yet.
E. Go down to the Louisiana State Police headquarters on Independence Blvd. and get your fingerprints done with the ATF fingerprint cards. It will cost $10 and you will need either a business check or a money order. The gas station down the street on Florida and Wooddale sells money orders. Again, leave you CCW in the car. This is a police station. Your CCW isn't allowed.
F. Wait.
*The deal on the fingerprint cards: There is a section on the card called ORI (originating agency). The ATF wants their information filled in on the ORI section. If you have blank cards you can fill it in yourself. But you are going to have trouble finding blanks since they come pre-printed from the FBI. Some people have gotten by with the wrong ORI while others get kicked back to do over. No sense in taking a chance. I had to do mine over.
6. Sgt. Paxton will call you in a few weeks with a bunch of questions about why you are trying to buy a silencer. Don't worry about it. He does this to everyone. He also asks if you have an alarm system, safe, if you are married or not (why is that relevant?), why you need one (Collecting purposes is perfectly acceptable, so just say that), and will ask about any prior arrests you may have on your record. Just answer everything honestly. If you don't have a gun safe you may want to get a cheap $20 gun safe just so you can answer yes to that question at least. I didn't have an alarm system, had a prior arrest, and still got the signoff.
7. Wait some more.
8. OK, so Sheriff Gautreaux's secretary called you up and said your signed Form 4's are ready. GREAT! Now go pick them up. Remember, leave your pistol in the car. When you get there look over the Form 4's signature carefully. Make sure he signed both copies. Then head over to Walgreens and get some passport photos made and tape them to the back of the Form 4.
9. Wait for your Louisiana approved paperwork to arrive. It should come to your mailbox. If not, call the State Police at 925-GUNS and ask what the status is. Have your serial number ready. If they don't have you in the system be ready to call your dealer and verify they submitted the paperwork.
10. OK, great almost ready to go to the post office. If you are 100% positive everything on the Form 4 is good to go then you can mail it all off yourself to the ATF along with a check for $200 made out to the "Department of the Treasury." If you aren't positive stop by the your dealer and have him look it over. I would highly advise you insist to mail your Form 4 packet off yourself. Dealers are notorious for sitting on them for weeks. Trust me.
11. Nothing left to do but wait. Keep an eye on your bank account. You should see the $200 check cash in just a few days.
Will add more later on how to check the status of your Form with the ATF. That's the fun part.
There are two Class III dealers in Baton Rouge:
Will
Red Jacket Firearms
(225) 448-3167
Kevin
Precision Firearms (X-treme Weapons)
(225) 754-7264
I recommend Kevin only because he has an indoor range you can play with your new toy in while you wait for your approved Form 4 to come back. Will is very busy making machine guns full time and may not be able to give you much personal attention, but he's very experienced doing these type of transfers.
*What's the difference between a suppressor, silencer, can, muffler, moderator, and snuffer? Nothing. It all depends on who you are talking to. When dealing with the ATF and State of Louisiana you will be saying silencer. When dealing with European shotgunners you'll be saying moderator. Crazy South African firearm instructors? It's a snuffer to them. Guys on the internet and most dealers? It's a suppressor. The lady at the post office if you have to insure it and mail it back to the factory for something? A muffler.
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