Silencers for Air Guns-Are they Legal??

If we are still speaking of airguns, I think it was Gamo that has just come out with a 1200fps rifle with some big thing on the end of the barrel that is advertised as a supressor of some sort.

Why they would put the thing on a supersonic airgun is beyond me unless the rifle was so damn loud that it really needed it.

You could probably use heavier pellets and get the velocity trans-sonic for some serious quiet fun with small game.
 
You're going to love this ...
... Things took a turn, however, when Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents raided Crooker's home in June 2004 as part of an investigation into the sale of an air rifle equipped with a silencer and seized his computer. Unable to crack the PC's security features, the agents sent it to the FBI's Cryptologic and Electronic Analysis unit, court records say. ...
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http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197700861

So if you plan on putting a silencer on your air gun remember to wipe the porn from your PC :D
 
Wow, I can't believe it took me this long to take notice of this thread. Actually, the BATFE has ruled on this very subject. It is NOT legal to make a silencer for an airgun because it is POSSIBLE for that silencer to be used on a traditional firearm. I believe, IIRC, the case in question was about silencers for paintball guns. Someone asked BATFE about their legality and they got the answer that they had to be registered as NFA because they acted like a traditional silencer and it was possible to affix them to a traditional firearm. Remember, if it quiets the noise down even 1db, it must be registered with NFA. I'll dig around and see if I can find that ruling...

OK, so I found it. The ruling is that if the silencer is an integrally, permanently attached part of the air gun (or paintball gun in this case) then it is not a "silencer" as defined as part of the NFA. If all or part of the silencer is detachable, then it falls under the NFA and must be registered accordingly.
 
That must be how Gamo is getting around the regulations with this new beast of an air-rifle. It does not look like the supressor is detachable.

The ad is in the new American Rifleman, I think. It looked pretty nifty, but with the BATFE constantly reversing itself it seems like Gamo may be taking a risky gamble with this one.
 
Ok so...

So because my idea has a portion that's removable, even though not readily adaptable to a firearm, still qualifies as a silencer?

The good news is, if I had a silencer welded to my pellet gun then it's legal! There are legal catch-22s for the federal government and gun owners here though.

The first problem for gun owners being - how do you get to the point where you weld a DIY silencer on to your gun? You have to build it first. This puts you legally in a "make firearm" activity requiring an ATF FORM 1 to be filed and approved plus a $200.00 "Make" tax. Even if you ignore this, then once it's built you are in possession of a firearm requiring a permit with all of the federal and state regulations that apply - basically everything you need to get a handgun. All of this falls under the Brady Gun Control Law meaning that even though this effort is being spent on a pellet gun which has no juristiction under the law - you are completely bound by it. So you can have a silencer on your pellet gun, you just have no easy way to get it on the gun.

We also find the government in the other catch-22, legally speaking. A "prohibited person" (18 usc, sec 922) ends up being denied the ability to do something that is perfectly legal (that is... have a perminently afixed suppressor on an airgun). This is because they cannot engage the "make" or permit process under current gun control laws. They end up as an entire class of people being denied due process; a very serious violation of the constitution.

The community could push for reform but many fear the resulting spotlight would be a call to arms (ironic pun) for gun control advocates to push for tighter regulations of airguns. I buy this as a plausible fear. But to some extent, this means a certain measure of control is forced upon our community that extends far beyond the legal reach of firearms law. This kind of reminds me of a Ben Framklin quote - "Those Who Sacrifice Liberty For Security Deserve Neither"
 
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The good news is, if I had a silencer welded to my pellet gun then it's legal!
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As you point out, that's only AFTER it's attached.
A "prohibited person" (18 usc, sec 922) ends up being denied the ability to do something that is perfectly legal (that is... have a perminently afixed suppressor on an airgun).
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No, they're only denied the right to MAKE one and afix it themselves. They can have an integrally silenced airgun from one of several vendors.
 
The means

Or they could gather all the necessary components and use a construction method that begins by welding the first components (washers i.e., baffles) to the barrel then the subsequent components to it. You'd have to be certain of your design and technique.

Rediculous - how did the laws come to this place?
 
teaching0315.jpg
 
For paintball, use a Smartparts barrel. Not "silent" but from being on the receiving end I can tell you its very hard to figure out where those shots are coming from.

And airguns, I think people get too hung up on high power. An R-7 can be shot all day in your backyard, and unless someone sees you they'll never notice. Shoot a 1000 fps aigun and they'll notice. Frankly, you'd be better off shooting CB longs.
 
I've had someone ask me if I were shooting a .22rifle on one occasion while I was sighting in my R1 air rifle. For urban environments, the less powerful airguns tend to be a better choice for unsilenced work.

And if you want silenced performance, there are a few manufacturers out there who will oblige with integrally silenced airguns.
 
Conclusions

The bottom line legally - airgun owners are denied the ability to engage in a perfectly legal activity (sound suppression of airguns) because that activity is surrounded on all sides by a legal mote with little real due process to assist them. A legal island in the middle of a sea of laws.

There are some routes to remedy. The first is case law. One would have to draw the federal government into a legal battle and have them lose and lose badly. The precedent would essentially melt the draconian laws. This would require an individual with extraordinary financial means and intestinal fortitude. This isn't very attractive to anyone, I'm sure.

Anonther would be to engage in legislation reform; repeal of the federal and state laws restricting the use of suppression technology. This is first a cultural and educational effort to turn the public's opinion of the technology and its benefits. The reformation of the law itself would likely take the form of an intense punitive threat to anyone using suppression technology in the course of a crime while generally allowing manufacture and ownership to take place legally.

If making the legal leap to firearms is too extreme for the public to digest, then perhaps a more defined measure of control of suppression technology should be designed. This might involve protecting your rights by means of putting a heavier burden evidence on the government to prosecute airgun owners with suppression technology. Changes to the laws should include the obligation of the prosecutor to demonstrate both means and motive defined in the law as "readily adapted" and "intent to adapt" the silencer to a firearm.

The "intent to adapt" would mean evidence of some kind supporting the defendent's motive to suppress a firearm under their control instead of the federal free-for-all prosecution for anyone suppressing an airgun that exists today.

The "readily adapted" would mean the construction and form factor of the device would have to, with very minimal effort, be adapted to a firearm under control of teh defendent or of reasonable means to be obtained.

A "demonstrated affixed dependency" would provide legal protection from the "readily adpated" clause. I.e., the only removable portion of the device renders it useless for suppression and only by taking actions to modify a firearm or the construction of the device could someone restore suppression capability. This would prevent a silencer free-for-all by would-be makers from claiming their designs are for airguns. Owning a firearm anmd a device modified to adapt to one another in order to complete the function of suppression would be a crimal act (I know there are already some laws restricting threaded barrels on firearms for this reason).

Who's for legal reform?
 
The importer is you. UPS is the common contract carrier.
Anonther would be to engage in legislation reform; repeal of the federal and state laws restricting the use of suppression technology. This is first a cultural and educational effort to turn the public's opinion of the technology and its benefits. The reformation of the law itself would likely take the form of an intense punitive threat to anyone using suppression technology in the course of a crime while generally allowing manufacture and ownership to take place legally.
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A huge effort. You'd have to re-educate an entire generation or two. And when you were done, you could do what you can already do. (Have a silenced airgun.)

You'd just have a wider selection. (Assuming there's enough market to make it worth the manufacturers' while.)
 
Something that really needs to be considered is the effectiveness of a silencer on an air gun. Many of your more powerful airguns are "springers". These guns produce much of their noise from the mechanism (spring) releasing when the trigger is pulled. Anyone that has owned a powerfull springer will note that they are truly scope killers because of the violent recoil action that they produce which follows the forward lunge. Just put a $100.00 scope on a Chinese springer or a good German RWS springer and watch what happens. For these springers, it would be like putting a silencer on a revolver.
 
Yup, I seem to recall reading that something approaching 40% of the "discharge sound" from a springer is mechanical noise and not muzzle blast.
 
But the difference...

A huge effort. You'd have to re-educate an entire generation or two. And when you were done, you could do what you can already do. (Have a silenced airgun.)
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Except you could build the piece yourself for $12 in parts from a hardware store and outfit any and as many air rifles as you like.

What manufacturers currently offer suppressors on air guns? I've seen a thing on the end of Gamo models but this is explained as a handle to aid in the cocking of the break barrel - not to reduce the report of the discharge.
 
Except you could build the piece yourself for $12 in parts from a hardware store and outfit any and as many air rifles as you like.
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The price of an integrally silenced airgun is usually commensurate with a similar quality non-silenced model. And the silencer along with the airgun is warranteed by the manufacturer.

So, considering that the only real benefit is being able to get a wider selection of silenced air rifles and factoring in the effort of re-educating 400 million people to your point of view I just don't see this as a cause anyone's going to take up. If I see it on the ballot, I'd vote with you, but IMO, even within the shooting community, you'd have a hard time getting a majority to agree...

Some makers that offer integrally silenced airguns:
Theoben
AirForce Airguns
Air Arms (Used to--may still)
 
If I see it on the ballot, I'd vote with you, but IMO, even within the shooting community, you'd have a hard time getting a majority to agree...
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I haven't heard anyone straightforwardly address the reason our government so intensely controls suppression technology. Is it purely a question of tactical advantage in a fire fight or other crimes?

Thanks for the manufacturer info. Pricey stuff but very cool.
 
Is it purely a question of tactical advantage in a fire fight or other crimes?
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It is purely Hollywood. Suppressors aka Silencers are used by assassins and other would be murders to kill people without attacting attention. Based on this belief, they have no legitimate use and are regulated. Without this protection, the streets would be awash with blood.
 
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