ATF Registers a Potato as a Suppressor | VIDEO

AmmoLand ^ | January 30, 2026 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

National Association for Gun Rights staff member Zackary Clark successfully registered a potato with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives during 2026 under the new rules, as a silencer.  The new rules, starting on January 1, do not require the payment of a tax to make and register a silencer. Silencers are classified as “firearms” in the National Firearms Act (NFA). The video recorded by Zackary shows what happened to the potato when it was used as a silencer.  A fair amount of energy goes into blowing a potato into small pieces. Almost certainly, the noise from the shot, fired through the potato, was reduced by some amount. This makes the potato a silencer under the law’s definition. Zackary Clark has the receipts. From gunrights.org:

National Association for Gun Rights’ own Digital Content Creator, Zackary Clark, became the first person to legally register a potato as a firearm suppressor with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).

The ATF Form 1, shown below in part, clearly identifies the potato as the registered silencer. Silencer designs are not required to be effective. A one-shot silencer is not unreasonable when there is no tax. A zero tax is no tax.

Serial number: TATE001

The nomenclature required to be on the silencer appears to have been engraved on the rear attachment, or cap, which is a reasonable place to put it. Areas on the back of the end cap have been blacked out to preserve privacy.  Zachary is effectively using absurdity, hilarious absurdity, to show the idiocy of the NFA’s ridiculous bureaucratic requirements to allow people to access a useful safety device.

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TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: banglist; potato; registered; silencer

[marktwain]

Registering a potato as a silencer is great political theater to show the absurdity of the National Firearms Act.

[ClearCase_guy]

[NorthMountain]

Serial number is hilarious.

[Mr. Blond]

Also contributes to “common use”, which should get suppressors de-listed.

[Antihero101607]

Don’t shove a potato onto the muzzle of a .300 Win Mag, shoulder the rifle and pull the trigger. I know an idiot who did that once, and posted the video to YouTube.The barrel looked like a peeled banana, and the shooter looked looked completely dumbfounded after he did that. Our First Sergeant saw the video, and it was promptly taken down

[Paal Gulli]

A little behind the times.

Man Registers a Potato with the ATF

01/23/2026 3:36:10 PM PST · by Joe 6-pack · 23 replies
YouTube ^ | 1/22/26 | Liberty Doll
A man has registered a potato as a silencer with the ATF.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4363653/posts

Search works fine.

[marktwain]

Different article, same subject.

[Raycpa]

Not very informative registration. Lacks specifics.

Was it Russet, Red, White, Yellow (like Yukon Gold), Fingerling, Purple/Blue, or Petite?

[T.B. Yoits]

So... every potato in the United States just became a controlled firearm accessory - felons can't own potatoes... no potatoes on school grounds... can only buy one potato every 60 days... etc.

Great political theater to show the absurdity of the National Firearms Act.

[redfreedom]

I’ve recently looked into the ATF form 1 as I was told that’s the first step to making a suppressor. Suppressors in our area range from $1,000 to $1,400 plus the cost of cutting threads on the weapon which can be as much as $200.

I’ve been toying with the idea of making my own, as I have metal working skills.

If I do this I will not be getting the barrel machined with new threads. To me this is just dumb as my AR15 already has threads where the flash suppressor is screwed on. Just use those same threads to screw on the silencer. The whole operation should cost less than a hundred bucks.

[Antihero101607]

So, if I buy a 5 Lb bag of Russets at the store and the ATF pays me a visit, will that bag be considered constructive intent?

[sauropod]

My exact thought.

[Salman]

Raw or baked?

If baked, it could be used illegally and then the evidence eaten. { snicker }

[cyclotic]

A cop I knew once busted a guy using a baby bottle nipple taped to the muzzle of a .22 for some unauthorized hunting.

He told me that it worked amazingly well as a suppressor.

Just sayin.

[thecodont]

Serial number: TATE001

LOL

[marktwain]

To me this is just dumb as my AR15 already has threads where the flash suppressor is screwed on.

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AR15 flash suppressor threads are, generally, 1/2x28. This is why most .22 caliber silencers are threaded 1/2x28.

It is the most common thread for silencers/suppressors.

[faithhopecharity]

we need to get rid of unconstitutional agencies

[marktwain]

Now that the tax for a stamp to make a suppressor has been reduced to zero, you can make as many as you want, and find what works best for you.

Once you apply digitally for a Form 1 tax stamp, if you use digital fingerprints (cost me $20 to have done), and a digital passport type photograph (can be done yourself), you can submit applications for Form 1 with no cost other than the time required to do so.

The time required becomes minimal when done after the first Form 1 is completed.

You can just edit the old form, use the same digital fingerprint file and the same digital photograph file, so the time involved becomes much less with experience.

[lowbridge]

Would you like a large silencer with that, sir?

[Paal Gulli]

Sometimes it’s potatoes, sometimes it’s oil filters.

It wasn’t that long ago the ATF shut down the sales of “filter adapters” that were threaded in 1/2x28, which is the most commonly used threading for direct-attach suppresors. But since there’s no longer a $200 tax attached, you can “Form-1” one of the kit suppressors for nothing but the price of the kit.