Some Q&A regarding supressors/silencers in washington state.

Jan 2009
371
0
Spokane
Had quite a few people ask me about how to get a supressor so I will go over how I personally got my first 2.

There's 3 ways to purchase a suppressor, you can buy it thru yourself, thru a corporation that you setup for it, or thru a living trust.

If you purchase it thru yourself then you need to get a form signed by the local head of law enforcement, need fingerprint cards, picture taken.

If you purchase it thru a corp then none of that is needed but you may need to do paperwork yearly to keep the corp active.

If you purchase it thru a living trust none of that is needed and it's a one time thing of setting up the living trust.

I setup a living trust using quicken willmaker, very easy and walks you thru it step by step. You can also have a lawyer do it, it's really a personal preference type of thing. I'm cheap so I did it myself to save money.

Next step is to decide what supressor you are wanting. That is really a thread in and of itself. If it's in stock at your local dealer then you go down with your living trust or corp paperwork or fingerprint card and photo. Fill out the form 4 to transfer the suppressor to you, write out a check to the BATFE for $200, pay your dealer for the suppressor, then send everything off.

Ideally about 3 months later the atf will send it back to your dealer approved and they will call you and you get to come down and pick up your suppressor.

If the supressor is'nt in stock then your dealer can most likely order it in for you, there's a transfer involved there but it's usually much quicker, 2-4 weeks on average.

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

T
 
Jan 2009
227
0
Seattle
Do you have to pay the BATF $200 every time you buy a suppressor or is it a one time fee?
 
Jan 2009
845
0
Renton, WA
Gee, I was hoping maybe since they're fully legal in WA the prices would come down? I mean seriously, a friggin suppressor costs more than the gun it goes on? Does it really cost more to make a supressor than a gun? I think not. There's probably a HUGE profit margin on them, just cuz Uncle Sam makes them such a PITA to get/own, and why? You'd think they would be encouraged to cut down on noise from shooting that bothers non-shooters.
 
Jan 2009
371
0
Spokane
Gee, I was hoping maybe since they're fully legal in WA the prices would come down? I mean seriously, a friggin suppressor costs more than the gun it goes on? Does it really cost more to make a supressor than a gun? I think not. There's probably a HUGE profit margin on them, just cuz Uncle Sam makes them such a PITA to get/own, and why? You'd think they would be encouraged to cut down on noise from shooting that bothers non-shooters.

You would be surprised at the difference in quality and materials like inconel are hard on equipment. Another factor is that a dealer has to hold onto the suppressor for a few months even after it sells. Ill sell you a suppressor at cost if you want to pay $50 a month storage fee till the paperwork comes back for you to pick it up. Id make more that way.

If you are interested let me know what you would like to suppress and I bet I can find an option that costs less than the host gun.

T
 
Jan 2009
845
0
Renton, WA
You would be surprised at the difference in quality and materials like inconel are hard on equipment. Another factor is that a dealer has to hold onto the suppressor for a few months even after it sells. Ill sell you a suppressor at cost if you want to pay $50 a month storage fee till the paperwork comes back for you to pick it up. Id make more that way.

If you are interested let me know what you would like to suppress and I bet I can find an option that costs less than the host gun.

T

Well I'm sure like most things, you get what you pay for. I sure wouldn't want a cheapo suppressor, but I still think they're overpriced for what they are.

It would be pretty cool to suppress one of my ARs, I'll have to get back to you on that though.
 
Nov 2014
2
0
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
Can you legally use a suppressed gun in a self defense situation? I've been trying to find an accurate answer to that question, but I couldn't find it. Does anyone know?
 
Dec 2012
51
0
Renton, WA
I don't see why not. People may try and tweak it against you, but if you can legally own one I don't see why it would be bad.

I specifically have one just in case of a HD situation. I like my hearing, or what I have left.
 
Nov 2014
2
0
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
I don't see why not. People may try and tweak it against you, but if you can legally own one I don't see why it would be bad.

I specifically have one just in case of a HD situation. I like my hearing, or what I have left.

Fair point. I just wanted to play it safe and find out for sure if it's legal or not.
 
Jan 2009
1,684
0
s. greenlake *****
I can tell you 2 reasons why you might not want to..

1. $$$$$$$
Lets say you have $500 into a gun.. (pistol,rifle, etc)]
Add a Stamp ($200'ish)
Add the actual silencer ($250'ish)

That gun is likely to be confiscated during the investigation after any incident.. and you never know when/if your going to get it back.


2. It may look worse to a jury of your liberal "peers" which could lead to you never getting it back.. and much much worse..

Just sayin.
 
Jan 2009
196
0
Marysville, WA
Gee, I was hoping maybe since they're fully legal in WA the prices would come down? I mean seriously, a friggin suppressor costs more than the gun it goes on? Does it really cost more to make a supressor than a gun? I think not. There's probably a HUGE profit margin on them, just cuz Uncle Sam makes them such a PITA to get/own, and why? You'd think they would be encouraged to cut down on noise from shooting that bothers non-shooters.
Old post, but ... prices aren't likely to change because one state changed its law. Even still, prices are coming down...
$300 for an EVO-9, $399 for a TIrant-9, under $500 for a 762-SD.... Those are damn good prices.

Manufacturing a silencer isn't the expensive part (though the raw materials aren't exactly cheap), but the R&D that goes into them is substantial. It's a pretty competitive industry trying to get that last fraction of a dB.
 
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