—”siencers” —better called “suppressors” because they don’t really “silence” have been legalized for hunting in several states as they reduce the noise level of gunshots below hearing damage—
—the NFA provision banning “silencers” in 1934 was probably the most foolish of any of the stupidly enacted provisions of the act—the earliest federal example of “feel good”legislation was not designed to solve any problem but to make political points-—
“...—the NFA provision banning “silencers” in 1934 was probably the most foolish of any of the stupidly enacted provisions of the act—the earliest federal example of “feel good”legislation was not designed to solve any problem but to make political points-—”
According to the magazine _Machine Gun News_ (later named _Small Arms Review_), publishing in the late 1990s, the Federal legislation curtailing gun ownership in the 1930s was debated and passed in an over-emotional, fact-starved fashion very much like we endure today.
National legislators wanted to ban “machine guns” outright (only the most notorious of a slew of “gangster guns” the idiot media was waxing hysteric about), but legal counsel warned them that any such move was unconstitutional on its face and would be struck down by the courts in short order. Confiscatory taxes were proposed, to deter purchase; none of the legislators had the slightest idea how high the tax should be. One suggested the tax ought to be 100 percent of the price. Not one of the august representatives had any notion of what actual prices were; reportedly, an aide was sent out to inquire what the “average” price might be. $200.00 came back as the reply. And so it was written into the law.
Sound suppressors, full-auto arms, short-barrel rifles and shotguns, smoothbore handguns, and a small handful of oddities have not been banned outright, merely heavily taxed and tightly regulated, requiring prior Federal permission for manufacture and transfer (states and municipalities often lay on tighter restrictions). As time has progressed, regulatory agencies have placed ever-stricter rules on manufacture and transfer, especially to private citizens, and with a greater emphasis on what one might loosely term “military” arms. Fully automatic arms of new make were banned for private manufacture and sale in May 1985, effectively freezing the total number of legally transferable machine guns at a total of about 285,000 nationwide. Not even a Federally licensed gunmaker can build a machine gun unless it will be sold to DoD or law enforcement agencies. Federally licensed dealers cannot even accept transfer of new machine guns unless a law enforcement agency or other Federally approved government entity has supplied that dealer - in advance - specifically requesting a “sample” for evaluation. Exact make, model, and caliber must be written down first.
Suppressors and most of the other categories are less tightly restricted. Interestingly, all of this has stirred collector interest and steep price increases; the $200.00 transfer tax is far less of a deterrent now, as it’s a smaller fraction of total costs.