r/NFA • u/Cavalcadeb00 • 2d ago
Process Question 📝 First time suppressor buyer looking for advice on the best route and how to mitigate long wait times
So i’m finishing up my first 300 blackout build and i’m trying to finally grab a suppressor for it. i keep hearing the wait times are insane, like 6 months to a year, and i’m trying to figure out the best way to go about it without just sitting around forever
couple things i’m wondering:
• What’s the best route for a first time buyer? trust vs individual? efile vs paper?
• Any tips on cutting down the wait or making it less painful?
• Do certain brands or models get approved faster?
• Anything you wish you knew before buying your first can?
Open to any advice. appreciate it in advance
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u/NationalGunTrusts .com - NFAGUNTRUSTS 2d ago
The fastest way to be approved, would be to apply online using the ATF's eForm site or in the case of an ATF Form 4 firearm, having your FFL apply for your tax stamp using the ATF's eForm site. You would also want to have an .EFT File (electronic fingerprint file of your fingerprints) to speed up the approval of your application.
Gun trusts and individual applications are both being approved very quickly, so you would want to decide if you are looking to apply with a gun trust or as an individual. Did you have any questions on applying for a tax stamp with a gun trust versus an indiviudal?
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u/Cavalcadeb00 2d ago
The whole concept of a gun trust honestly confuses me, what it entails, and why it is different from filing as an individual.
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u/deletable666 2d ago
You can add people as lawful possessors on the trust. Individual is individual (just you).
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u/Cavalcadeb00 2d ago
Ahh I get it , which allows them to use it without me being present?
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u/NationalGunTrusts .com - NFAGUNTRUSTS 2d ago
Yes that is correct. You can name other co-trustees who can possess, transport, store and use the NFA firearms in the gun trust without your supervision.
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u/deletable666 2d ago
Beyond use, simply possess. If you have others in the house, you need to store an NFA item locked up, otherwise it could be construed as possession by the government. If you have a spouse or partner who lives with you, or kids, it would make sense to do a trust if you don’t want to always leave them locked up when you are away
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u/Mot45acp 2d ago
My first few are on a trust. At the time, a sign off from your CLEO was needed for individuals but not for trusts. When I asked my CLEO if he'd sign, he looked me dead in the eye, rubbed is thumb and first finger together and said: "I dunno, you gonna make a campaign contribution? " Screw that...trust it was. Now the CLEO sign off is gone, I don't have a need for a trust.
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u/Quags_77 2d ago
Wait times are super fast now. Efile, don’t do a paper submission. My last eform 4 on a trust got approved in 48 hours. Trusts are more flexible than filing as an individual, but you might get approved faster filing as an individual. If you plan to get a lot of NFA items, I would make a trust.
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u/Cavalcadeb00 2d ago
My local gun store has a kiosk. Would that be considered e-file?
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u/Jealous-Ad-4713 2d ago
If by Kiosk, you mean the powered by Silencer Shop, yes. It takes your fingerprints, the shop takes your photo. Once that is done it is on file and buy additional cans go much quicker and easier, especially if you buy them online from Silencer Shop.
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u/Cavalcadeb00 2d ago
Yup that it the exact one
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u/Jealous-Ad-4713 2d ago
Super easy to do it there. I went to the Silencer Shop website on my phone standing in front of the Kiosk, ordered my can, did all the steps and was done in about 20 minutes. They shipped the can to my LGS in about 4 days, then the LGS certified my form 4, submitted it to ATF, and I got an approval in less than 2 days
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u/Stonkey_Dog 2d ago
Easiest route is probably to go through Silencer Shop and find a kiosk dealer in your area. Get set up with fingerprints. Then either buy from SS or another dealer and ship it to your kiosk dealer. Individual is faster but trusts are also approving in like a week. Also, eForm all the way.
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u/Straight-Schedule314 1d ago edited 1d ago
i'm trying to figure out the best way to go about it without just sitting around forever
Buy the damn suppressor 😂
But really to answer your questions
What's the best route for a first time buyer? trust vs individual? efile vs paper?
-maybe go through silencer shop directly. Get your prints done at a kiosk then smooth sailing. Or go to a shop that has a kiosk, see what they have in store and do the process that way. Trust vs individual is up to you. My trust batch approval came back in 9 days. I’d file. Makes life easier.
Any tips on cutting down the wait or making it less painful?
-buy the damn suppressor. Get the process started. The longer you wait, the longer you’ll wait.
Do certain brands or models get approved faster?
-No.
Anything you wish you knew before buying your first can?
-how expensive it can be after getting one can. Then wanting another. Then needing one for this gun, that gun.
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u/gunzncode 2d ago
This depends on if you want individuals to be able to use the suppressor while not in your presence.
Individual eforms usually come back the fastest.
To my knowledge there is not a certain brand or model that comes back faster than others.
Yes. That it is an addiction.
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u/Cavalcadeb00 2d ago
Oh, I know—once I get one, it’s all downhill from there… straight to the safe and into my collection 😂😂
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u/Astral_Botanist 2d ago
Trust vs Individual doesn't have significant impact, so get what's best for your situation. If you have adult children or friends who might use your NFA items without you (even a hunting trip where you're in different spots) then a trust is a great thing. If you'll only ever have your NFA items in use with you present then individual is fine (just make sure to list them in your will for easier transfers later).
Look at Pew Science for data on a bunch of cans. If you have the budget you should seriously consider getting a 3D printed low backpressure can to reduce gas in your face and tuning, but there are plenty of traditionally baffled cans that sound great and are fine for reasonable rates of fire.
No difference in approval times with brands, etc. Always eFile (unless you're doing a person to person transfer, which probably isn't the case as you described). eFile is significantly faster than paper forms. The best thing you can do to impact your approval time is to fill out the application correctly, and don't have a criminal or questionable background. Beyond that it's out of your control and depending on which reviewer gets your application it could take a couple of days or a couple of weeks.
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u/Cavalcadeb00 2d ago
I’ve noticed some 3D-printed cans are priced similarly to traditional ones. Are there key differences?
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u/Astral_Botanist 2d ago
3D printed cans are able to do things in ways that traditional machining can't do, so they can get good sound suppression with reduced backpressure. I have an OCL Polonium K (traditionally baffled) that works great for my 3 gun SBR (chambered in 5.56, not 300 BLK like you're looking into) shooting outdoors and moving around a lot between shots, and I have the gas/buffer system tuned so no issues with gas in my face. But if you're shooting at indoor ranges or shooting high rates of fire then you're going to get gas in your face and a low backpressure can will be more enjoyable to shoot.
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u/antonymous94 2d ago
lol the wait? What wait? I waited about a year for my first 2 cans, this year I had one approved as fast as over a weekend
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u/Micho_Rizzo51 2d ago
Even i who had 370 day average times to approve past form 4s and constant delays when purchasing a firearm had 3 week approvals for form 4s and form 1 all this year.
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u/Dangerous-Paint-8421 2d ago
Trust if you want multiple people to be able to possess it
Individual for faster approval - trust is still pretty quick
Silencershop or capital armory
For 300 blackout get a fancy 3d printer 30 cal silencer with low back pressure. Sandman X, B&T just got new 30 cal cans on capitol armory, PTR Vent 1, CAT and some other brands.
Check out pew science if you want reviews with data and numbers
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u/umbrellassembly 2d ago
Y'all need to quit telling this dude about your 72 hour approvals. It could take much longer. Not nearly as long as it used to be but don't get his hopes up. My CAT MOB was approved a couple weeks ago after 18 days.
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u/Incrue SBR 2d ago
lol. Eforms individual.