AFTE Store - Silencers

A silencer is defined as any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, and any part intended only for use in such assembly or fabrication.[1] The father of modern silencers, Hiram P. Maxim, wanted to create a device that would minimize the noise pollution associated with shooting. Maxim’s device, the silencer, was readily available to the general public until 1934 when the National Firearms Act was introduced. After 1934, silencers were limited to military and government use. Today, private citizens are permitted to own silencers but they must be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BAFTE) and a $200 transfer fee must be paid. [2] Several construction techniques are used to produce successful and efficient silencers. This paper will look at these techniques, as well as the uses of silencers and how they work.