On Jan. 1, 2026, adjustments to the National Firearms Act (NFA) kicked in that affect suppressors. If you’ve ever tried to purchase a suppressor before this year, you know that it requires paperwork, fingerprints (usually a charge for this service, too), a $200 tax stamp, often a payment to the FFL that sells and files the paperwork and a waiting period. Today, if you buy a suppressor, there is no longer a $200 tax stamp. You still have to complete the registration and a background check – on a Form 4s or Form 1s – and, of course, there’s a waiting period.
If you want a good rundown on what’s happened overall with the change, check out this post at Alex Kincaid Law. The fact that you don’t have to pay $200 per suppressor is another good reason to own one (or more), in our opinion.
We have advocated for using suppressors for a long time here at The WON. Why? Perhaps if we look back at some of our posts in the past, you’ll understand our reasoning.
Have you ever heard of Phonophobia? It’s a fear of loud noises. Ashlee Lundvall’s friend, Priscilla, suffers from this phobia, so Ashlee invited her to a shooting range and walked her through the steps of safe shooting, while using firearms with suppressors. You can read the story here.
To sum it up, Ashlee started her friend with an unsuppressed .22, after coaching her through safe shooting steps and actually shooting the gun so that her friend could watch the recoil and other effects. When it came to be Priscilla’s turn, she flinched, and wasn’t that comfortable shooting – even with maximum ear protection.
Then, Ashlee switched to suppressed shooting, and here’s what happened: “I asked Priscilla to load the magazine for me as I connected the SilencerCo Sparrow 22 to the Ruger. I had her handle the unloaded gun to feel the difference in weight distribution with the suppressor attached, and then we stepped up to the firing line where I, once again, fired several shots first to show her the difference in noise reduction and what to expect. I could tell by her more relaxed stance that Priscilla was more comfortable with the quieter setup and her growing confidence. She emptied the magazine and agreed that she enjoyed shooting suppressed much more than her first experience without the Sparrow.”
You don’t have to have a fear of loud noises for the sound to affect you negatively, though. Gunshots damage your hearing.
According to the American Suppressor Association, “Suppressors reduce the noise of a gunshot by an average of 20 – 35 dB, which is roughly the same as earplugs or earmuffs. By decreasing the overall sound signature, suppressors help to preserve the hearing of recreational shooters, hunters and hunting dogs around the world. Even the most effective suppressors, on the smallest and quietest calibers (.22 LR) reduce the peak sound level of a gunshot to between 110 – 120 dB. To put that in perspective, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), that is as loud as a jackhammer (110 dB) or an ambulance siren (120 dB). For normal caliber handguns and rifles, suppressed sound levels routinely exceed 130 dB, just shy of OSHA’s ‘hearing safe’ threshold of 140 dB.”
When you hear a loud noise, you may flinch. In fact, noise is one of the main culprits behind a flinch (recoil being the other one) while shooting. Brooklee Grant penned “The Benefits of Shooting Suppressed.” “Similar to a muzzle break, suppressors reduce recoil by offsetting the gas pressure that normally pushes the firearm back. Scaling down sound levels should allow for less of a tendency to flinch when anticipating a shot, which therefore leads to better shot placement. The decreased sound and recoil may benefit a shooter when it comes to accuracy. You’re going to perform better overall because you’re more stable and focused on the target, instead of the noise and kickback.”
Nancy Keaton interviewed Shauna Young, of SilencerCo, in this post, “SilencerCo Explains – Silencers 101.” Shauna addresses the topic of recoil.
Nancy asked, “Why would the everyday person want to own a silencer?”
To which Shauna responded: “There are so many benefits to owning a silencer! For starters, they make shooting a much more enjoyable experience. Suppressors reduce noise and recoil – two of the most uncomfortable byproducts of shooting sports. … Because silencers reduce recoil, they also produce better follow-up shots, thereby increasing accuracy.”
Avery Skipalis tested a suppressor on a rifle before she went hunting, and she wrote, “Additionally, my groups got slightly tighter with the Harvester EVO installed, as depicted in the photo. If you miss with the EVO, you will have to blame something other than the suppressor.”
She stressed the importance of making sure you shoot the rifle with the suppressor on it before taking it hunting: “Accuracy is paramount when hunting. It can mean the difference between bagging that trophy buck you have been chasing or going home empty-handed. When adding a suppressor to a rifle, you have the potential to change the point of impact (POI). You want to select a suppressor that provides as little of a point of impact shift as possible, and if you have a shift, you want it to be consistent. … Honestly, all the ammo impressed me, especially with minimal POI shift. I compared the POI of each ammo with and without the suppressor, and the shift was not discernible.”
If you’re interested in the flash suppression aspect, check out this post, “ How a Suppressor Reduces Flash, Too.” I was amazed at how much a suppressor reduces the amount of flash.
Avery made a video about suppressors, and it rolls out all the reasons we’ve mentioned above. Take a look and see if it convinces you to buy one, or another, suppressor.
For a complete listing of our posts about suppressors, check out this link.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
