SilencerCo Lays off 100 people

So it looks like SilencerCo has laid off about 100 people.
I hate to hear this for any body loosing there job, or any business having to make lay offs.
It sucks, and it hurts.


In my option
1) when they stopped selling through SIlincerShop
2) When 41f went through, people stocking up before it and spent a lot of money on them, and got what they needed passed
and people not wanting to deal with new regulations.
3) people waiting to see if the HPA passes and can save on wait times and $200
4) and year wait times


A few articles on all this

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/02/foghorn/layoffs-reported-silencerco-citing-lagging-sales-due-hearing-protection-act/


http://modernrifleman.net/2017/02/02/mass-layoffs-at-silencerco/

http://www.recoilweb.com/whats-quieting-the-silencer-industry-126010.html

It doesn't make sense to wait for HPA. If you want a can do it now...

If HPA passes while you are waiting, you'll still get your can and since you ordered first, you get served way before everyone else who waited (can you imagine how fast demand will plummet), and you'll get the $200 back.

If it passes after your wait, you get to show off on the range while your friends bitch about everyone being out of stock. And you get the $200 back.

If it doesn't pass, you'll be several months into your wait anyway, and way better off than waiting around to find out it's not gonna happen and then start the process.

win-win-win

Damn..

JoeLiberty said:

It doesn't make sense to wait for HPA. If you want a can do it now...

If HPA passes while you are waiting, you'll still get your can and since you ordered first, you get served way before everyone else who waited (can you imagine how fast demand will plummet), and you'll get the $200 back.

If it passes after your wait, you get to show off on the range while your friends bitch about everyone being out of stock. And you get the $200 back.

If it doesn't pass, you'll be several months into your wait anyway, and way better off than waiting around to find out it's not gonna happen and then start the process.

win-win-win

Click to expand...

If the HPA passes I think a lot of people like me will make their own. I ran into a guy at the range and every time we went cold we would shot the $@@@ and before he packed up and left he let me run three rounds of subsonic 300blk through his can he built off the maglite concept and I could here the buffer spring. $200 in material for SD tactical makes a damn nice can.

1. Waiting on HPA is silly. It's far from guaranteed to pass, and even if it did it could easily be another year or two before it's passed and in effect.

2. The dip in suppressor sales is not unexpected, the 41F stuff caused an unnatural spike in sales which we all know from Economics 101 will always be followed by a downturn.

3. Sounds like SiCo simply waaaaay overhired during the spike and now they're feeling it. But back to the last point, how they didn't see this coming is beyond me.

4. I've heard grumblings around the industry that the reason it's such a news topic is their handling of the situation, apparently they caught a lot of employees off guard and screwed them over.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Whitebread said:

If the HPA passes I think a lot of people like me will make their own. I ran into a guy at the range and every time we went cold we would shot the $@@@ and before he packed up and left he let me run three rounds of subsonic 300blk through his can he built off the maglite concept and I could here the buffer spring. $200 in material for SD tactical makes a damn nice can.

Click to expand...

SD Tactical got Shut down because of this.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/01/foghorn/atf-says-solvent-traps-silencers-shuts-sd-tacticals-kit-business/
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/01/26/breaking-sd-tactical-shut-selling-solvent-trap-parts/
https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/solvent-trap-manufacturer-shut-atf/


You can build your own suppressor, right now but it has to be on a From_1 same as a SBR / SBS








And to address point 4 made by Speedracer

I spent the money I had to spend before 41F, theres one or two things I'd like but not enough to deal with getting prints and crap from 4 different people. I didn't know they werent selling through silencershop anymore, that seems like a bad plan.

G_S said:

SD Tactical got Shut down because of this.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/01/foghorn/atf-says-solvent-traps-silencers-shuts-sd-tacticals-kit-business/
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/01/26/breaking-sd-tactical-shut-selling-solvent-trap-parts/
https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/solvent-trap-manufacturer-shut-atf/


You can build your own suppressor, right now but it has to be on a From_1 same as a SBR / SBS

Click to expand...

Yeah that's exactly what I don't want to do I own an AR pistol for that very reason. I don't mind an FBI check to purchase, but the NFA provides literally no benefit to the American people and at best is just a way to keep tabs on those serious enough about shooting sports. When the HPA is passed (really more like if) I will be making a a few cans.

SpeedRacer said:

1. Waiting on HPA is silly. It's far from guaranteed to pass, and even if it did it could easily be another year or two before it's passed and in effect.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

I respectfully disagree if the only reason I don't want to buy NFA items is because they are NFA items refusing to buy/build them until they are no longer NFA items is logical. Now if you wanted to say it's silly that I don't want the government in my gun safe. I ask you if you don't want the camel in the tent, do you wait till his toes are under the tent flaps?

I'm waiting for the HPA for my first can primarily because I will be moving out of state in a few months and don't want to complicate the process. I doubt it will pass and by the time we know whether it will or not I may be moving again. So with 12 month wait times I don't have much of an option than to just wait.

I wouldnt have thought that silencerco employed 100 people let alone had 100 people they could let go and still operate.

Hi all,

I was reading this thread (there are some great points in here) and decided to respond and give everyone the straight facts as I know them. For those who don't know me, my name is Kenny Bossetta. I'm an attorney and owner of Meplat Group, LLC which is a FFL/SOT here in Metairie, La. We are the highest volume suppressor dealer in Louisiana and one of the largest in country (top 20, I'm told).

Anyway, I went to SHOT show and the Monday night before the show started my suppressor distributor (the largest one in the country) had a small party (about 40-50 people) for their larger dealers and their manufacturers. Top level people were there from Silencerco, Dead Air, Rugged, Gemtech, and maybe one or two others.

Silencerco said HPA is a done deal. Like any day now. All the other companies said that wasn't the case. They all would LOVE to see HPA pass because sales would be amazing. However, you have to remember that NOTHING gun related passes through Congress without the NRA's blessing and right now they are devoting all of their energy toward national reciprocity (and rightly so) and HPA isn't on their radar at this time. Further, NRA-ILA lobbyists have conducted a vote count and (as of that time) they didn't have the votes to pass HPA.

So, SHOT finishes up and Silencerco (which controls 82% of the suppressor market---let that sink in) lays off approximately 40% of their workforce (about 100 people). Why did this happen? Here's my take based on conversations I have had with folks in the know.

1) Silencerco was pushing the line about HPA so hard that they started buying their own propaganda. They had already tooled up over the last year for 41F and when Trump got elected I think Josh Waldron (owner of Silencerco and co-chair of Trump's Second Amendment Coalition) thought his relationship with Donald Trump, Jr. (the other co-chair of Trumps Second Amendment Coalition) was strong enough to make it happen. Unfortunately, it is going to take cooperation from Congress to get this done and Trump currently has bigger fish to fry.

2) Silencerco had too many employees for anything but a pedal to the floor scenario. They are considered by many to be a bit of a top heavy company anyway.

3) Because of the American Silencer Association and Silencerco pushing HPA as a done deal to the gun buying public since the election, many people adopted a "wait for HPA" attitude. This exacerbated the dip in the silencer market that was already feeling because of a post-41F hangover.

What does all of this mean? It means HPA is a LONG way off. Like over a year, if I was going to bet on it. Silencerco isn't going anywhere. They are still making great cans and providing great customer service. There was rumbles that they had a suitor to buy them but that didn't happen and probably won't---for now. Silencerco is sitting on a goldmine when HPA passes and the Maxim 9 could (WARNING: wild ass speculation here) become an OSHA mandated sidearm for law enforcement in the future, but in any case will be a great seller.

The moral of this story is if you want a can, don't wait for HPA. One of the other things that came out of my SHOT discussions is that they are speculating that if HPA passes it will take five years for supply to catch up with demand. Remember what happened to AR prices after Sandy Hook? That $200 tax stamp will seem like a steal. The guys who buy now will have their cans sooner and cheaper than the guys that wait for HPA.

If anyone has any questions for me, post up. My PMs are off but I can be emailed or called or texted as well. If you want to see my ugly mug saying the same things I've said here (there may be some additional stuff in the videos) I have a few videos on our FB page you can check out.

Hope this has been of interest.

Yes, and that statement above is by an attorney who sells suppressors (class 3 dealer) and is somewhat self serving.

But you fail to mention one important facet. If HPA passes, it treats silencers (suppressors) as a long gun. So anyone who can lawfully own a long gun can legally manufacture their own suppressor. Not absolutely necessary to wait for manufacturers to catch up on demand.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3799/text

excerpt from HPA bill: "To provide that silencers be treated the same as long guns."

You can legally purchase a "solvent catch can kit" right now. Google it. File a Form 1, get approval, and roll your own suppressor.

Of course when the HPA is approved, no need for Form 1, or the $200 tax.

John_ said:

Yes, and that statement above is by an attorney who sells suppressors (class 3 dealer) and is somewhat self serving.

But you fail to mention one important facet. If HPA passes, it treats silencers (suppressors) as a long gun. So anyone who can lawfully own a long gun can legally manufacture their own suppressor. Not absolutely necessary to wait for manufacturers to catch up on demand.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3799/text

excerpt from HPA bill: "To provide that silencers be treated the same as long guns."

You can legally purchase a "solvent catch can kit" right now. Google it. File a Form 1, get approval, and roll your own suppressor.

Of course when the HPA is approved, no need for Form 1, or the $200 tax.

Click to expand...

True, I am a retailer, but I disclosed that in my first paragraph. Besides, anyone who has ever bought from me knows I don't push a hard sell. I'm just giving you the data and what my conclusions are. If your conclusions are different, that's OK.

I don't think I "failed to mention" anything that was germane to the situation as were weren't talking about self manufacturing. You can absolutely build a can now, you just need to register it. Just like you can build an AR on an 80% lower now, but people still buy Daniel Defense. There will always be people who want to do things as inexpensively as possible or who are just DIY guys. I think that's great. But the vast majority of people are going to buy cans from quality manufacturers after HPA just like they do now. There's no hide the ball here.