W W W. S I L E N C E R S A R E L E G A L . C O M

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1 Aquickhistorylesson

3 ownership

11 benefits

17 q&A

CONTENTS

yes,silencersArelegAl™isAregisteredtrAdemArkofsilencercollc.intheunitedstAtes.

history1

TM

a q u i C k H i S T O r y l E S S O N

THErE HavE bEEN maNy SupprESSOr (Or SilENCEr) dESigNErS aNd yEarS Of rESEarCH aNd dEvElOpmENT THaT HavE imprOvEd firEarm SupprESSOr TECHNOlOgy, buT iT iS Hiram p. maxim wHO dEvElOpEd aNd paTENTEd THE firST COmmErCially prOduCEd SupprESSOr.

hiramp.maximwasthesonofunitedstatesborninventor,hiram stevens maxim, who brought us the first portablefullyautomaticmachinegun.hiramp.maxim,amechanicalengineer, graduated from the massachusetts institute oftechnology(mit).hewasapioneerinhamradiotechnologyandautomobiles,andheworkedinseveralotherindustriesbeforeheformedthemaximsilencercompany in1908.Asan outdoorsman, a hunter, and target shooter,maxim hadan idea come to him as he was shooting near neighborsandwassensitivetotheirpeaceandquiet.hedevelopeda

fairly effective silencer that was largely popular and sold commercially in localhardwarestoresfor$3.25perunit.maximcoinedtheterm“silencer”byincludingthewordinthenameofhisbusiness;however,therehasneverbeensuchthingasa literal silencer. firearms suppressors have been noted as sound suppressors,soundmoderators,mufflers,silencers,andtheslangterm,“cans”.

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intheearly1900‘slawenforcementagencies,fearingthatorganizedcrimesyndicateswouldstartusingsilencers,machineguns,andhandgrenades in theirescapades,started looking forways to ban such items. thenu.s. Attorney general, homer c.cummings,recognizedthatfirearmscouldnotbebannedoutrightunderthesecondAmendment, so he proposed restrictive regulation in the form of an expensive taxand federal registration.shortbarreled riflesandshortbarrel shotgunswerealsoregulated by this act of congress since the ability to easily conceal themmade lawenforcementagenciesnervous.

in1934,thenationalfirearmsActwasapprovedandpassedbycongress,andtheexpensivetaxof$200wassetonanylegalpurchaseof thecertain itemslisted inthebill.Atthattime,$200wasfarmoreexpensivethananyitemthatwaspurchased,makingitalmostimpossibleforacitizenwithanaverageincometoacquire.

this act of congress (whichmany gun enthusiasts find aggravating) restricts thefollowing:ashotgunhavingabarrelof less thaneighteen inches;ariflehavingabarrel length less than sixteen inches; or any other weapon, other than a pistolor revolver, from which a shot is discharged by an explosive if such weapon iscapableofbeingconcealedontheperson;oramachinegun.thisactalsorestrictsamufflerorsilencerforanyfirearm,whetherornotsuchafirearmisincludedintheforegoingdefinition. thenfAbranchof thebureauofAlcohol, tobacco,firearmsandexplosives(bAtfe,orcommonlyknownastheAtf),regulatestheregistrationand restrictions of such items and classifies a silencer, suppressor, muffler,ormoderatorasadevicethatdecreasesthesoundsignatureofaweapon.

After the national firearms Act of 1934 was set into place, private ownershipof silencers slightly fell out of favor. Although themilitary and federal agenciesusedsilencersforcertainmissions,therewasnotalotofmovementinthewayofexpanded research and improved technology. it was not until the later part ofthe20thcentury thatsilencerresearchstartedpickingupmomentum,whichwasinfluencedby the increasing interest of themilitary and federal agencies.withinthe last twenty years, silencer technology has improved exponentially. with theintroduction of cnc machines and computer-generated 3d modeling, silencershavebeenimprovingbothineffectivenessandindurability.

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O w N E r S H i p

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w E a p p l a u d y O u . w E l l , m O S T O f y O u .

yES, SilENCErS arE lEgal aNd THEy arE EaSy TO ObTaiN THrOugH prOpEr CHaNNElS.

no, you do not need a license to purchase a silencer but you do have to pay aone-time$200 tax foreachsilenceryoupurchase.youalsohave to live inastatewheresilencersarelegalandhavetomeetcertaincriteriatobeeligibletoownone.

determinewhetherornotyourstateallowsyoutoownasilencer.

silencers are legal but are regulated by federal law and on a per-state basis.however, thenationalfirearmsAct (nfA)branchof thebureauofAlcohol,tobacco,firearms and explosives (bAtfe) ultimately controls any transfers, and allsilencers are registered by this branch. individuals, corporations, and trusts canlegallypurchaseandpossesssilencersin38states.however,ifyouareaffldealer,manufacturer, peace officer, or a law enforcement agency or other governmentagency,thereareadditionalstateswhereyoucanownasilencer.lookbelowtoseeifyouareeligible.

legalstates statesthatdon’tupholdtheconstitution

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IF YOU DO NOT LIvE IN A SILENCER-FRIENDLY STATE, ThERE ARE STILL A FEW OpTIONS FOR YOU

1.youcansendapre-writtenlettertoyourstatesenatororstaterepresentativetoencouragehimorhertolegalizesilencersinyourstatebyvisitingwww.silencersarelegal.com.

2.youcanmovetoasilencerfriendlystate.

3.youcanpurchaseasecondhomeinasilencerfriendlystateandqualifyfor dualresidency.

YOU CANNOT...

...legallymakeyourownsilencerinastatewheresilencersareillegal.

...traveltoasilencerfriendlystateandpurchaseonetotaketoyourstate.

...havesomeonewholivesinasilencerfriendlystatebuyyouone.

...beafelonand/orbeprohibitedfromowningafirearm

YOU MUST...

...bealegalresidentofthestatewherethesilencerispurchased.ifyoulive inastatewheresilencersarelegal,wecongratulateyouforlivinginastate thatprotectsyoursecondAmendmentrights.

...beatleast21yearsofage

OvEr 27,000 SilENCErS a yEar

arE purCHaSEd by Civil iaNS.

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I qUALIFY pERSONALLY AND GEOGRAphICALLY TO OWN A SILENCER, NOW WhAT?

1.chooseaproduct.

2.locateaclassiiigundealerinyourstate.

3.once you agree to your dealer’s selling price, you may be required to pay forthe silencer in full or, at the very least, provide a significant deposit to startyourtransferpaperwork.thisisbecauseitmaytakeonetofivemonthsforthepaperworktobeapprovedbythebAtfe,thustyinguptheinventory.

4.Afterthemonetarytransactiontakesplace,thedealerwillordertheproductifitisnotinstock,inwhichcasethemanufacturerwillhavetotransfertheproducttoyourdealerbyaskingpermissionfromthebAtfeviaform3.thistransfercantaketwotosixweekstobeapprovedbythebAtfe.

5.if thedealerhas theproduct in stock, itwill beassigned to youandseparatedfrom the restof the inventory,ensuring that youhaveaproductserialnumberforyourform.

6.once you have an assigned product serial number, the class iii dealer willthen give you the bAtfe form 4 (5320.4), Application for tax paid transfer andregistrationoffirearm,induplicatewiththeserialnumberoftheproductfilledoutintheappropriatesection.youmustfillouttherestoftheforminduplicate.

7.youwill send in a $200 check ormoney orderwith the completed application,alongwitharecentphotoandfingerprintcards.

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bAtfeform4(5320.4)

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STEpS TO COMpLETING YOUR FORM 4 AS AN INDIvIDUAL

1.obtainthebAtfeform4(5320.4)(Applicationfortaxpaidtransferandregistrationoffirearm)fromyourdealerinduplicate.someinformationshouldbepre-filledbyyourdealer,suchasthedealer’snameandaddress,themodelofthesilenceryouarepurchasing,theoveralllengthofthesilencer,thecaliberofthesilencer,theserialnumberofthesilencer,andthemanufacturer’sinformation.makesurethedealer signs theappropriate fields.remember to complete all informationinduplicate.

2.fill out the required informationon the frontof the form, including yournameand address. complete the back by answering the questions and stating thereasonyouareacquiringthesilencer.signanddatethebackoftheform.Again,remembertocompleteallinformationinduplicate.

3.Affix a recent color passport-sized photograph of yourself on the back of eachcopyoftheform.

4.Acquireasignatureof thechief lawenforcementofficerofyourcountyoryourlocal sheriff.don’t let this step scare you; this is a routine request. if you feelthat your police chief or sheriff will not sign the form 4 because of personalor political concerns with the second amendment, do not worry. you can alsopurchase thesilencerunder yourlimitedliabilitycompany (llc)or corporation,orundera trust.readthesectionbelowonhowto filloutform4asa trustoracorporation.

5.whileyouareatthestationobtainingtherequiredsignature,inkupyourfingersandgettwocopiesoffbifingerprintcards(fbiformfd-258)thatyouwillsendinwiththetwoduplicatesofform4.

6.filloutthebAtfeform5330.20(certificationofcompliance).thisformdoesnothavetobeinduplicate.

7.placebothcompletedcopiesofform4,thetwocopiesoffbifingerprintcards,andthecompletedcertificationofcomplianceforminanenvelope,alongwithacheck or money order (payable to bureau of Alcohol, tobacco, firearms, andexplosives)for$200andmailtotheaddresslistedonform4.weadvisethatyouuseacheckandnotamoneyordersoyoucanseewhenthebAtfecashesyourcheck. this is a great way to confirm if the form actually arrived and is beingprocessed.otherwise,youmayjustbewaitingfortwotosixmonthsforapproval,when,infact,yourpaperworkneverarrived.

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8.AfterthebAtfeapprovesform4,theywillputastampononeofthetwocopiesyousentthemandthensendit tothedealerwhereyoupurchasedthesilencer.the dealer will then notify you that the paperwork has returned and that thesilencerisreadytopickup.

STEpS TO COMpLETING YOUR FORM 4 AS A CORpORATION OR TRUST

1.obtainthebAtfeform4(5320.4)(Applicationfortaxpaidtransferandregistrationoffirearm)fromyourdealerinduplicate.someinformationshouldbepre-filledbyyourdealer,suchasthedealer’snameandaddress,themodelofthesilenceryouarepurchasing,theoveralllengthofthesilencer,thecaliberofthesilencer,theserialnumberofthesilencer,andthemanufacturer’sinformation.makesurethedealer signs the appropriate fields.remember to complete all informationinduplicate.

2.fillouttherequiredinformationonthefrontoftheform,includingthenameofyourcorporationortrust(notyourownname)andaddress.completethebackbyanswering thequestionsandstating the reason youareacquiring the silencer.(remembertoprintthenameofyourcorporationortrust,notyourownname,insection 15). sign and date the back as the trustee. remember to complete allinformationinduplicate.

3.placebothcompletedcopiesofform4withacheckormoneyorder(payabletobureauofAlcohol,tobacco,firearms,andexplosives) for$200 inanenvelope,alongwithacopyofyourArticlesofincorporationortrustpaperwork,andmailtotheaddresslistedonform4.weadvisethatyouuseacheckandnotamoneyordersoyoucanseewhenthebAtfecashesyourcheck.this isagreatwaytoconfirmiftheformactuallyarrivedandisbeingprocessed.otherwise,youmayjustbewaitingfortwotosixmonthsforapproval,when,infact,yourpaperworkneverarrived.

4.AfterthebAtfeapprovesform4,theywillputastampononeofthetwocopiesyousentthemandthensendit tothedealerwhereyoupurchasedthesilencer.the dealer will then notify you that the paperwork has returned and that thesilencerisreadytopickup.

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hOW TO ObTAIN A SILENCER IF YOU ARE pURChASING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR ThE GOvERNMENT

theindividualthathastheauthoritytopurchasecancontactthemanufacturer.themanufacturerwillfilloutthepaperworkneededandsubmititinyourbehalf.whentheygetanapprovaltotransfertheitems,theywillshipthemtotheagency.

pEACE OFFICER pURChASE AS AN INDIvIDUAL

peaceofficershaveallthesamestateownershiprightsthatindividuals,corporations,andtrustshave,butinaddition,newyorkisonthe“legal”list.

HEariNg damagE CauSEd frOm COmbaT will grOw 18% a yEar, wiTH diSabiliTy paymENTS TOTaliNg $1 .1 billiON aNNually.

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b E N E f i T S

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w E d i g S u p p r E S S O r S a N d w H aT T H E y d O

INCREASED ACCURACY

firearm suppressors (or silencers, as they are often called) are not only usefulfor the field of professional law enforcement, but they also havemany practicalbenefits for civilians as well. one of themost common problems for shooters ispooraccuracyduetotheshooter’santicipationofthegun’sloudreportandrecoil.this anticipation causes shooters to “flinch” before the gun even goes off, toexperience slight tremors in the hand fromnervousness, and even to close theireyesorblinkrightbeforetheypullthetrigger.Alloftheseissuescausetheguntomovefromtheintendedtargetarea.theuseofsilencerswilldramaticallyincreaseaccuracy because of the reduced muzzle report, reduced recoil, and decreasedmuzzleflip.

hEARING pROTECTION

Anotherpracticalpurpose for silencers ishearingprotection.Anyshooterknowsthatevenwithearmuffsorplugs,gunsarestillloudenoughtohurtyourearsandcause ringing in your ears long after you are finished shooting—and sometimespermanently.besidestheringing,earmuffsandplugscanbeveryuncomfortable.when shooting with earmuffs or plugs, you are required to speak very loudly tobe able to communicatewith friends. this type of hearing protection alsomutesyour surroundings so that you are less aware of your environment. silencercosilencers lower the sound signature of your firearm to the pointwhere it is safeandcomfortabletotheeartoshootwithouttheneedofhearingprotection,makingyourshootingexperiencesaferandmoreenjoyable.

SupprESSOrS SavE HEariNg, iNCrEaSE SiTuaTiONal awarENESS, imprOvE aCCuraCy, buT mOST impOr TaNTly, SavE livES.

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pERSONAL pROTECTION

whenshootinginclosequarters,suchasaroomorhallway,gunfireisloudenoughto cause permanent hearing loss. if you are in the unfortunate position that youmustusedeadlyforceinordertoprotectyourselforyourfamilyinyourhome,therewillnotbeenoughtimetoapplyhearingprotection.eveniftherewasenoughtime,hearingprotectionwouldmake itdifficult tohear thepositionof theperpetrator,whichwould give him the upper hand in the situation. home protectionweaponsthatusesilencerswillsaveyourhearingandincreaseyoursituationalawareness.

hUNTING

thereareseveralbenefitstohuntingwithsuppressedfirearms.becauselisteningtoyoursurroundingsisanimportantstrategyintrackingprey,huntersveryrarelyifeverusehearingprotection.Again,unsuppressedgunfireisloudenoughtocausepermanent hearing loss. using a silencer will suppress the gunfire enough toprotect your hearing without the use of hearing protection, thus allowing you toeffectivelytrackyourpreyandquicklytakeyourshotwithouthavingtofirstapplyhearingprotection.

if you have a silencer attached to yourmuzzle while hunting, there are benefitsotherthanhearingprotection.becausethesilencerreducesrecoilandmuzzlerise,you are able to get into position for a follow-up shotmorequickly because thereisa lot lessmovementandyourcrosshairsstaycloser to the target.sometimes,it ispossibletogetyourcrosshairsbackontargetbeforethefirstbulletstrikes.this quick strategy also allows you to “call” your hits ormisses andmake quickcorrectionsinthefield.

huntingwithsilencersislegalinseveralstates.whetheryouarehuntingbiggame,smallgame,orpredatorsandvarmints,asilencerwilladdenjoymentbyremovingtherisktoyourhearingandtothehearingofthosearoundyou.remembertocheckifhuntingwithasuppressorislegalinyourstate.

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IT’S YOUR RIGhT

itisstillyourrightunderthesecondAmendmentoftheconstitutionoftheunitedstatesofAmericatokeepandbeararms.unexercisedrightshaveawayofbecoming“privileges.”thesecondAmendmentoftheu.s.constitutionwasnotdesignedjusttohelphunterskeeptheirweapons.itwasdesignedtoallowitscitizenstoholdtheultimate“checkandbalance”andtodefendagainstanoverreachingandtyrannicalgovernment.Afterall,georgewashingtondidnotusefreedomofthepresstowinourindependencefromgreatbritain.

bENEFITS FOR pROFESSIONALS

hearing protection

noise induced hearing loss is a serious threat to our men and women in themilitary and law enforcement communities. the ability to hear is crucial to theperformance of their duties. many people have received medical retirementbecause of noise inducedhearing loss.much of this hearing loss occurs due torepeatedexposure togunfire,bothoperationallyand in the trainingenvironment.Accordingtothenationalinstituteforoccupationalsafetyandhealth(niosh),anyexposure to noise over 140db causes immediate and irreparable hearing loss.unsuppressedhandgunsandriflesgenerallycreateamuzzlereportwellabovethisthreshold.gunfirenoise isa “preventable”occupational riskandanunnecessaryliability.Asilencercanprotectagainsthearingloss.

Improved Situational Awareness

Visionisa180-degreesense.hearingis360.theabilitytohearisacrucialpartofachievinggoodsituationalawareness.evenmoresothanvision,yourhearingcanmakethedifference in lifeordeathsituations.theuseofunsuppressedfirearmsortheuseofhearingprotectiontocountertheeffectsofunsuppressedfirearmsisa serious impediment to operational effectiveness, situational awareness, andeffective communications. communicatingwhile shooting is easier to accomplishwith the employment of firearms with sound suppressors. using a silencer canincreaseoperationalsuccess.

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Gunfire Recognition

recognizingthedifferenceinthesoundofagunshotcanmakeasignificantdifferenceoperationally. the universal use of sound suppressors within a group or teamcan make it easy to recognize incoming and outgoing fire and make it easier toascertainenemypositionsandlocations.

position Concealment

silencers greatly reduce the sound signature of a gunshot. As a result, muzzlereport is greatly reduced, making it more difficult to determine its origin point.Also,“ballisticcrack,”orthenoisethatabulletmakeswhileairborneatsupersonicspeeds, is an “omnidirectional” sound that makes it’s origin point difficult todetermine. these two effects create great confusion about the origination point ofthegunfire,inhibitingeffectivereturnfire.

sound suppressors also have the added benefit of virtually eliminating muzzleflash, which benefits the user by maintaining a good sight picture in low lightconditions and robbing the enemy of his most obvious aiming point. the blastpressure wave, or muzzle blast, generated from a gunshot is also significantlyreducedwith theuseofasoundsuppressor.there ismuch less“kickup”ofdustandmovementoffoliagefromtheblastwhenasoundsuppressorisdeployed.

Greater Accuracy/Controllability

soundsuppressorsreducerecoilandmuzzlerise.thiscontributestobetteraccuracybyreducingtheshooter’stendencytoanticipaterecoilor“flinch,”thusmaintainingaconsistentholdonthetargetthroughtheshot.suppressorusealsoreducesthemuzzleriseofafirearm,makingitpossiblefortheshooterto“stayontarget”andfollowupwithsecondaryshotsmorequickly.infullautomode,theuseofasuppressorincreasesaccuracyoffullautofire.

Clandestine Usestheoperationaluseofsoundsuppressorsisgrowingrapidly.theantiquatedmindsetthat theyarea tool for“assassins” isbeingreplacedbyagrowingunderstanding ofhowtheyworkandoftheoperationalbenefitsoftheiruse.

*cqb/swAtentry*sniper/countersniperdeployment*hostagerescue/counterterror*dignitaryprotection*clandestinecountersurveillance

*trainingandweaponsfamiliarization*Animaldamagecontrol/euthanasia*ingress/egresscover*patrol/Activeshooterresponse

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q & a

*trainingandweaponsfamiliarization*Animaldamagecontrol/euthanasia*ingress/egresscover*patrol/Activeshooterresponse

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w E l Ov E a N S w E r i N g q u E S T i O N S .

ARE SILENCERS LEGAL?

inmoststates,yes.individuals,corporations,andtrustscanlegallyownsilencersinthefollowingstates:Al,Ak,AZ,Ar,co,ct,fl,gA,id,in,ks,ky,lA,me,md,ms,mo,mt,ne,nV,nh,nm,nc,nd,oh,ok,or,pA,sc,sd,tn,tX,ut,VA,wA,wV,wi,andwy.

IS IT DIFFICULT TO ObTAIN ThE NECESSARY pApERWORk (FORM 4) TO LEGALLY OWN A SILENCER?

no.itisarelativelysimpleprocesstosubmitform4applicationstoownasilencer.typically,itisnomoreinvolvedthanobtainingaconcealedfirearmpermitinmostu.s. states. the typical process includes submitting two simple forms, two setsof fingerprint cards, two passport photos, a citizenship declaration form, and asignature from a chief law enforcement officer in your home jurisdiction. checkwithyourlocalsilencercodealerformoreinformationorregionalinformation.

MY LOCAL ChIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WON’T SIGN MY FORM 4. WhAT CAN I DO?

you can process a form 4without a chief law enforcement officer’s signature bymeans of a firearms trust. there aremany attorneys who have vast experiencewith this type of trust, and it is also a relatively simple legal process. your localsilencercodealershouldbeabletopointyouintherightdirection.ifnot,youcanalwayscallusforassistance.

DO I GIvE Up ANY RIGhTS bY OWNING ThE SILENCER, SUCh AS SEARCh AND SEIzURE RIGhTS?

no. you do not give up your guaranteed rights in any regard. you are simply theregisteredownerofannfAitem.

DOES OWNING A SILENCER pUT ME ON A GOvERNMENT “LIST”?

youwill be the “registeredowner”of that silencer,which is recordedona “list.”butremember,youhaveasocialsecuritynumber,whichisa“list”;youareregis-teredtovote,whichisa“list”;youpayyourtaxes,whichisacontrolled“list.”fromyourbirth, thegovernmenthashadwaysof identifyingyou.sorelax, takeadeepbreath,andexerciseyourrighttobuyasilencer.

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CAN I SELL MY SILENCER AFTER I bUY IT, OR AM I STUCk WITh IT FOREvER?

yes.youcansellit,butthetransfermustbedoneinaccordancewithallregulations.

CAN I TAkE MY SILENCER ACROSS STATE LINES?

underthefirearmsownersprotectionAct,notwithstandinganystateorlocallaw,a person is entitled to transport a firearm from any place where he or shemaylawfully possess such firearm to any other place where he or she may lawfullypossessit,ifthefirearmisunloadedandlockedoutofreach.invehicleswithoutatrunk, the unloaded firearm shall be in a locked container other than the glovecompartmentorconsole.Ammunitionthatiseitherlockedoutofreachinthetrunkor in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console is alsocovered. fopAalso seems to provide for necessary stops, like gasoline and rest.other bAtfe regulations require a temporary permit for machine guns or shortbarrelriflestotravelacrossstatelines.

hOW LONG DOES IT TAkE TO DO ThE pApERWORk?

itvariesbasedonbAtfenfAbranchworkload,butitcantakeaslongas90-120days.

DO I hAvE TO hAvE A CLASS III TO OWN A SILENCER?

no.Aclassiiilicenseisonlyrequiredtobeactivelyinvolvedinthereselling ofsilencersforprofit.

hOW MUCh IS ThE TAx STAMp?

$200foreachsuppressor.

ARE ThERE ANY RECURRING FEES?

no.youpayaone-time$200transfertax.

85% Of pEOplE aSkEd dON’T kNOw

SilENCErS arE lEgal.

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ifyouhaveaquestionorcommentforus,contactus:

silencerco,llc 5511south6055west, westValleycity,ut84118

E info@silencerco.comp 801/4175384Wwww.silencerco.com

checkoutanyofoursitestostayintouchwithus.wewillkeepyouup-to-dateonindustrynewsaswellascompanynews.

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