Nearly 2.2 million suppressors were purchased by law-abiding citizens from May 2021 through July 2024, according to figures compiled by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). In those few short years, the total number of muzzle-mounted, hearing-protection devices owned by U.S. citizens nearly doubled.
Registration became mandatory under the National Firearms Act of 1934, and 2.66 million suppressors sold between then and May 2021. In the above-mentioned three-year period another 2,193,123 sold.
Why the sudden spike in sales? The most significant change arrived with improvements of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive’s eForm 4 three years ago. Silencer Central was one of the companies that quickly harnessed the new assets to make suppressor ownership nearly foolproof and faster than before. Instead of paying for one up front and waiting nearly a year—while BATFE background checks and paperwork cleared—the delay is now down to weeks, sometimes days.
“The biggest difference is that the customer will be ‘kept in the loop,’” Brandon Maddox, Silencer Central owner and CEO said when the improved system went live. “They’ll get emails and updates of when it was submitted, when the tax stamp is paid and when it’s approved. So it creates an additional of level of transparency for the consumer.”
Prices have also dropped, new designs are more versatile than ever before, and there are hundreds of models from which to choose. With lower prices, more selection, ease of ownership and health benefits, this trend promises to only accelerate in the future.
Degradation and loss of hearing are permanent, which makes wearing proper protection at the firing line a critical safety precaution. Earmuffs and earplugs, even today’s advanced electronic versions, are not always ideal, though. Suppressors provide an added level of protection in a different way. They ride on the firearm’s muzzle, not over or tucked inside a shooter’s ears. It’s the perfect setup for hunters, who often hear an animal moving in before it appears. It’s neighbor-friendly. Go with any of the subsonic loads available today, and you can even eliminate that familiar noise a bullet makes as it breaks the sound barrier.
