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Anyone make their own silencers?

15K views 22 replies 10 participants last post by  WABob 
#1 ·
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
 
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#2 ·
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.
 
#5 · (Edited)
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
 
#6 ·
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? :D
 
#9 ·
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
 
#11 ·
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
 
#12 ·
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. !
 
#13 ·
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.
 
#14 ·
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
 
#16 ·
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
 
#19 ·
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
 
#23 · (Edited)
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.
 
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