Anyone make their own silencers?

[Ranb]

I started making silencers a few years ago. I decided that I could not afford to spend the $2500 that SSK was asking for their 510 whisper as well as other silencers, but I could afford to drop $2000 on a lathe, welder and other tools. I started with a 300 whisper silencer learning to operate the lathe at the same time. After seeing how well it worked, I made some for 22lr, 9mm, 5.56, .308/338rum, 458 socom, 7.62x39 WASR. I managed to suppress over a dozen firearms with the few silencers I have made so far.



I am always looking for new ideas, so if you have any, please feel free to make suggestions.

Ranb

[wyoredot]

wow, you have done some apparently good work there. I have always been fascinated by suppressors, purchasing one for a .257 roberts that should make it as quiet as a .22. We will see. It will cost close to 1000 by the time I'm done. How will that compare to yours? 695 for the unit and 200 for the transfer.

[Ranb]

I spend between $20 to $60 on material for my silencers, and $200 for the tax of course.

Ranb

[wyoredot]

very good. 200 for each one I'm guessing? And your labor is worth something if even just to you. You aren't able to sell out of your state are you?

[Ranb]

Typical is about $40 in tubing and bar stock, plus the $200 tax on each. The $200 tax is only paid once as long as I own it. If I sell it to a person in my state, then it is another $200 tax for the transfer. I can sell them if I want, but if I sell too many, then the ATF would probably deny the buyer's tax stamp application. If I sell to an unlicensed person in another state, then it is a $200 tax to transfer to the dealer in my state, a tax free transfer to the dealer in the buyer's state, then another $200 tax to the buyer. No one wants to pay $400 in taxes for a silencer from an unknown hobbyist for a homemade silencer.

I save lots of money making them myself. They are nearly as good as the quality silencers I have shot next to even if the finish is fair at best. And nothing beats doing it yourself.

Ranb

[CampingJosh]

Originally Posted by Ranb

Typical is about $40 in tubing and bar stock, plus the $200 tax on each. The $200 tax is only paid once as long as I own it. If I sell it to a person in my state, then it is another $200 tax for the transfer. I can sell them if I want, but if I sell too many, then the ATF would probably deny the buyer's tax stamp application. If I sell to an unlicensed person in another state, then it is a $200 tax to transfer to the dealer in my state, a tax free transfer to the dealer in the buyer's state, then another $200 tax to the buyer. No one wants to pay $400 in taxes for a silencer from an unknown hobbyist for a homemade silencer.

I save lots of money making them myself. They are nearly as good as the quality sielncers I have shot next to even if the finish is fair at best. And nothing beats doing it yourself.

Ranb

Well, which state are you in?

[Ranb]

WA state. I just updated my profile.

Ranb

[CampingJosh]

Originally Posted by Ranb

WA state. I just updated my profile.

Ranb

Too bad. I think I'm going to be in the market for one by the end of the year. Not certain. (Wife thinks we need to get furniture in the living room before I get any more guns--we have camping chairs in here right now!)

[Ranb]

Hahahahaha. Well, I have to be with the wife this one. If I was sitting on camping chairs in the living room then I would spring for the furniture instead of the guns.

Ranb

[BillM]

Originally Posted by Ranb

WA state. I just updated my profile.

Ranb

I had always heard that while it was legal in Washington to OWN a
suppressor, it was not legal to USE one. Appears that I heard
wrong?

[Ranb]

You heard right. I only use them when traveling to a less oppressive state. I do not plan on living in WA after I retire for good.

Ranb

[wyoredot]

Move right on over to Montana, I'm sure you will enjoy it much more than where you are now. Weathers a bit chilly right now but, it is tolerable. Besides it is one of the few states that recognizes camp chairs as acceptable home furnishings. !

[wyoredot]

By the way, I did make a muzzle brake for my Lone Eagle one day at the shop, I had to buy the tap but did everything else on an old lathe. It was a small project but turned out ok. Building a suppressor is probably out of my grasp.

[Ranb]

If your lathe is capable of turning tubing and bar stock to within 0.001 inches, then it is very capable of making silencer parts. I use a cheap 12x34 inch Grizzly lathe. There are drawings available on http://www.silencertalk.com .

Here is a drawing of one of my homemade cans.



Ranb

[Helix_FR]

Not that I'm that in to silencers I'd like to see how you make the baffles. Interesting stuff.

[Ranb]

Just like Michelangelo, you start with a piece of bar stock, then cut off everything that does not look like a baffle. Actually it is very easy after you have done it just once.



Ranb

[bluesea112]

Ranb,

Have you ever considered video recording the process from start to finish? I would love to see a video of you making the baffles.

Bluesea112

[3/2 STA SS]

AWESOME Work and you make a nice looking piece. I wish I still lived in Kitsap County!

[BSAP]

After reading thru this Thread I have a question.
Has anyone considered making a silencer that is resonant to reduce the sound?
I have made a unit that has baffels that are spring loaded.
I started with a long tube and kept adding springs and baffles till the noise was reduced almost to nothing .
Any comments or experience in this line.
BSAP

[bluesea112]

RanB,

How much does the suppressor tame the recoil on that .338 RUM? Is the "can" on .338 RUM double threaded on the barrel? If so, how far are the threads spaced from each other down the barrel?

[CampingJosh]

Originally Posted by bluesea112

RanB,

How much does the suppressor tame the recoil on that .338 RUM? Is the "can" on .338 RUM double threaded on the barrel? If so, how far are the threads spaced from each other down the barrel?

RanB got a little bit argumentative. He's now a "former member." Perhaps someone else will be able to answer your question, though.

[BETH]

can anyone buy a silencer? thought u had to have special license or something

[WABob]

I read some of ranb’s posts. Another forum member suggested that he abandon his silencer building idea because it could fetch him many years in a federal prison. Considering the effort he claimed to have put in submitting the proper tax stamp applications to remain legal, his efforts to promote silencer use and his multi-year campaign to make them legal to use in Washington State, I am not surprised that he was “argumentative”. Imagine how a person might feel if someone suggested that they were risking prison time for merely driving on a public road in their car.

I have made a few silencers on my hobby lathe at home. A 22lr and 9mm so far. I am working on a 17 caliber suppressor for a rifle now.

There is no license or permit required by the federal government to make, own buy or sell a suppressor. It is a simple matter of filling out a tax stamp application in duplicate, a form to certify yourself as a legal resident or citizen, two finger print cards, two passport sized photos and a check for $200. Anyone who can fill out the forms properly gets approval; after a long wait of 2-4 months now. Of course filling out the forms properly means they are allowed to own a gun and live in a state that allows suppressor ownership. The biggest hurdle for some is getting the local sheriff to sign the back of the ATF forms. Some people get around this by using a trust or corporation to own the suppressor or other title 2 firearm for them. No signature, fingerprints or photos required then. A person needs to be 18 to own a suppressor, 21 to have one transferred from a dealer.

CT is one of the states that allows civilians to own suppressors without a license. There is a dealers list here http://www.subguns.com/c2c3/c3state.htm but I do not know how up to date it is. Two of the best sites I have seen for suppressors are http://www.subguns.com and http://www.silencertalk.com . Lots of people buying or making suppressors post there.