SouthernUnderGod
Well-Known Member
I wasn't sure if this was the right place to post this but here goes. Is there a legal way to make a suppressor? Is it practical?
I'm a fairly competent and experienced metalworker. I understand the physics and dynamics of suppressors. I've considered making my own.
I'm not talking about junk you see in YouTube videos, oil filters, 2-liter Coke bottles, etc. I mean something that's made from materials that have known specifications and assembly design that considers take-down for maintenance and cleaning, plus durability.
If a person builds their own suppressor, is there a way to legally register it? I know that registration needs serial numbers and I accept that as a given; I can stamp numbers into parts.
However, is it even practical from a financial standpoint to register a self-built suppressor? By that I mean are there ridiculous "manufacturer" registration costs that would make it impractical? In other words, is paying for the cost of a commercially manufactured suppressor and paying the Federal tax less dollars than having to register as a manufacturer, register a device, then pay the NFA tax and fees?
I assume that you would need an FFL Type 10 for Title 2 (NFA) firearms and an SOT Class 3 status.
I also appreciate that if you are going to do this, it wouldn't be practical to just do one unit or two. I'd think about at least 3 or 4. So for purposes of discussion, I'm thinking about something like:
Any thoughts, or should I just file this as "you have to be nuts"?
On a related idea, what about forming a "club" that allows members to "share" or "check out" suppressors (like a library)? Or would everyone have to pay the NFA tax?
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*Probably not .223/5.56 immediately. I understand that the pressures associated with these make for a challenging design problem. I saw some photos of a manufacturer's prototype that had been damaged.
I'm a fairly competent and experienced metalworker. I understand the physics and dynamics of suppressors. I've considered making my own.
I'm not talking about junk you see in YouTube videos, oil filters, 2-liter Coke bottles, etc. I mean something that's made from materials that have known specifications and assembly design that considers take-down for maintenance and cleaning, plus durability.
If a person builds their own suppressor, is there a way to legally register it? I know that registration needs serial numbers and I accept that as a given; I can stamp numbers into parts.
However, is it even practical from a financial standpoint to register a self-built suppressor? By that I mean are there ridiculous "manufacturer" registration costs that would make it impractical? In other words, is paying for the cost of a commercially manufactured suppressor and paying the Federal tax less dollars than having to register as a manufacturer, register a device, then pay the NFA tax and fees?
I assume that you would need an FFL Type 10 for Title 2 (NFA) firearms and an SOT Class 3 status.
I also appreciate that if you are going to do this, it wouldn't be practical to just do one unit or two. I'd think about at least 3 or 4. So for purposes of discussion, I'm thinking about something like:
- Make a general purpose rifle suppressor that I can use for rifles up to calibers in the low to mid thirties (e.g., .308), AND
- A .22 suppressor*, AND
- A couple of pistol devices, one for 9mm and another for .45.
Any thoughts, or should I just file this as "you have to be nuts"?
On a related idea, what about forming a "club" that allows members to "share" or "check out" suppressors (like a library)? Or would everyone have to pay the NFA tax?
____________________________________________________________________________________
*Probably not .223/5.56 immediately. I understand that the pressures associated with these make for a challenging design problem. I saw some photos of a manufacturer's prototype that had been damaged.