Yes, YOU can Own NFA Items Like Silencers, SBRs and Machine Guns
And it’s Probably Easier than you Think
I was shooting a suppressed pistol at the range this week when I heard the whispers from a few lanes down. Incidentally, one of the benefits of shooting suppressed weapons is that you not only retain the ability to hear whispers but you can hear them while you are shooting. “Why is that gun so quiet? A suppressor? Are those even legal to own?“
It’s a common enough question, and the answer is Yes. Well – a qualified “yes.” Per the map at SilencerCo’s www.SilencersAreLegal.com site, private civilian ownership of suppressors is currently allowed in 39 states. After shedding some light on how the process works and letting the whisperers run a few rounds through the suppressed .22, they seemed excited and were asking more questions, including ones about how to get started and how much it costs.
The ownership of suppressors (a/k/a silencers), along with other National Firearms Act (NFA) regulated items such as short-barreled rifles (SBR) and short-barreled shotguns (SBS), destructive devices, and, yes, even machine guns, is the subject of a lot of rumors, myths, and misinformation. Although heavily regulated by federal law, provided that you live in a state where their ownership is not prohibited, ownership of these items is perfectly legal.
Common Myths
Some of the more prevalent myths include that they are unequivocally illegal to own (they aren’t), you need a license to buy NFA items (you don’t), that the ATF can come barging in to look at your firearms whenever they feel like it (they can’t), nobody else can enjoy your NFA items even with you present (they can), and that playing the NFA game is expensive. Continue reading
Ah, Memories. Your First Firearm.
People tend to remember their first. Motorheads probably fondly (or not) recall their first car, just as motorcyclists probably vividly remember their first two-wheeler that sparked their love for bikes. Guitar virtuosos likely look back on their first axe. Perhaps the modern-day Don Juan thinks back to their first romantic conquest. Firearms enthusiasts are no different.
While being bombarded with throwback-Thursday #TBT posts on various social media outlets today, I came across a couple that made me a little nostalgic for some of the now-obsolete tech from the seemingly not-so-distant past and since, obviously, I had a number of other browser windows open with gun related stuff going on, my mind drifted in that direction.
Rather than just prattling on about about my first firearm (although I had a number before it, I consider the Ruger 10/22 that I spent my own money on to possess that honor), I thought that we should have a reader-driven firearm-themed throwback.
Post below in the comments section (or pop over to this old thread on the GunLink Forums) and tell us about an old firearm that you own or used to own. Maybe it was the first gun that you shot, the first one you owned, or the first one that you bought. Maybe it was a special gift to you or maybe it was one that you gifted to someone else. Perhaps it was one that you sold or traded but wish that you still had.
Whatever it is, tell us about it!
Open Carry Poll
Open carry (OC) of firearms in public has become a hot topic with fervent opinions on both sides of the issue. In some locations, concealed carry is heavily regulated while open carry is largely unregulated. What do you think about the practice?
Is it good because it allows the OC-er faster access or acts as a criminal deterrent? Is it bad because it removes the element of surprise, makes the OC-er a target or scares the general population? Does it just depend on the situation?
Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts in the comments section.
[poll id=”8″]
Remember (the Guns of ) The Alamo
Today marks the anniversary of the start of The Battle of the Alamo – General Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón’s (a.k.a, for obvious reasons, Santa Anna) assault on the Alamo Mission. On February 23, 1836, Santa Anna led approximately 1,500 troops – under a red “no quarter” flag – into San Antonio de Béxar as a step toward putting down the Texas Revolution. Although William B. Travis – who had been stationed at the Alamo Mission for only 20 days – had been writing letters pleading for reinforcements, few arrived to supplement the approximately 100 men garrisoned at the Alamo, the 30 men that James Bowie brought and the 18 regulars who came with Travis weeks earlier.
Over the course of the following ten days, as several skirmishes unfolded, Santa Anna’s forces were reinforced to several thousand men while Texian fighting forces numbered only a couple of hundred. Despite the extremely lopsided numbers, the Texians fought bravely until their eventual defeat. According to some sources, Mexican casualties numbered 400-600 – nearly a third of their forces involved in the final assault on the Alamo while the number of Texians killed is believed to be between 182 and 257, as Santa Anna purportedly killed survivors of the battle, including any who may have surrendered. Santa Anna’s viciousness inspired many Texians to join the Texian Army. Under cries of “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Goliad,” the Texian Army defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto on April 21, bringing an end to the Texas Revolution. The rest, as they say, is history. This, however, is not a history website – it is a gun website, so let’s take a look at some of the arms thought to have been used during the Battle of the Alamo. Continue reading
SHOT Show Range Day 2015 – What You Missed
The end (of January) is nigh, and that means that we are wrapping up another SHOT Show – the National Shooting Sport Foundation’s annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show which showcases the best new innovations that the industry has to offer. As in past years, the GunLink crew spent an action packed week-long stint in Las Vegas to cover the show – from the live fire demos of SHOT Show Range Day right through all four days of walking the 640,000 square feet of show floor to visit the more than 1,600 exhibitors. If you didn’t make it to the Range Day, here is what you missed. Continue reading
New GLOCK Models Officially Unveiled at SHOT
Although ads for the new GLOCK MOS models were leaked several weeks ago, they haven’t been officially announced by the Austrian firearms maker until now.
GLOCK, Inc. announced yesterday the release of the new Modular Optic System (MOS). The MOS platform was designed by GLOCK engineers to enable users to mount their preferred reflex sights to their pistol in order to improve their target acquisition. The Gen4 models G34, G35, and G41 will now be available in the new MOS platform. The GLOCK 40 Gen4 in MOS Configuration – a long slide 10mm pistol intended for 10mm enthusiasts as well as handgun hunters – will be available soon.
“Our research has prompted us to release the MOS configurations for the G34 Gen4, G35 Gen4 and G41 Gen4 and the new G40 Gen4 in the MOS Configuration.” stated Josh Dorsey, VP at GLOCK, Inc. “The new GLOCK MOS platform offers a convenient way to mount reflex sights without costly alterations to a warrantied slide.”
The MOS models include an Adapter Plate Kit containing 4 adapter plates as well as the tools for the removal and installation for a variety of optics. Optics are not included with the MOS pistols, leaving users the flexibility to add the sight of their choice. Otherwise, the specifications for the Gen4 MOS configured G34, G35, and G41 are the same as their respective non-MOS versions. Continue reading
