What's the difference between a silencer and a suppressor?

[Renegade1978]

What's the difference between a "silencer" and a "suppressor"? Are either/both legal? Saw some at a gun show recently, and when I asked if they were silencers, the guy was pretty rude and said they were "suppressors." I didn't feel like he was very interested in helping me understand, so I just went on by.

 

[Expat]

I think the gun people only call it suppessor while the public calls them silencers. Kind of like the whole clip vs. magazine thing.

 

[Renegade1978]

So, evidently they are legal if they were for sale. Do you have to get a special permit for one? If so, any idea of the cost?

 

[IndyMonkey]

I think the gun people only call it suppessor while the public calls them silencers. Kind of like the whole clip vs. magazine thing.

Thats more like an old timer thing. All the old guys call them Clips.

 

[Expat]

So, evidently they are legal if they were for sale. Do you have to get a special permit for one? If so, any idea of the cost?

I saw somewhere else that you have to get a tax stamp or semthing.

 

[Mr. Habib]

So, evidently they are legal if they were for sale. Do you have to get a special permit for one? If so, any idea of the cost?

You do not need a "permit", you pay a tax for each NFA item. $200 for the tax stamp + the actual cost of the suppressor.

 

[CSK22]

Thats more like an old timer thing. All the old guys call them Clips.

TMK a clip is something that loads a magazine, while a magazine is something that loads a gun.



Also to the OP i have found very few people at gun shows who are nice.

 

[Scutter01]

INGO has an entire sub-forum, including stickies, that will answer all of your questions. In fact, I'm moving this thread there since it's about suppressors.

Class III (NFA) - INGunOwners

BTW: The guy at the gun show was a jerk.

 

[shooter521]

BTW: The guy at the gun show was a jerk.

Indeed, since even ATF calls them "silencers".

That said, "suppressor" is simply a more correct term, since such a device does not truly "silence" the report, but rather muffles or reduces it.

In much the same way it is more correct to call soft body armor a "bullet-resistant vest" rather than a "bulletproof vest".

My

 

[CountryBoy19]

TMK a clip is something that loads a magazine, while a magazine is something that loads a gun.



Also to the OP i have found very few people at gun shows who are nice.

Actually not completely true. A clip is just that, it is a "clip" that holds rounds together. Think of an M1 Garand clip, its not a magazine, its a clip that holds the rounds together, but not completely enclosed. A magazine is encloses the rounds and hold them "in". A "stripper clip" is something used to load a gun/magazine, the name comes from the fact that the rounds are all in a single line and you "strip" them off the clip into the gun or the magazine.

 

[KokomoDave]

That M1 Garand 'clip' is called an en bloc.

 

[samot]

The L the I the N & the O

 

[CSK22]

Actually not completely true. A clip is just that, it is a "clip" that holds rounds together. Think of an M1 Garand clip, its not a magazine, its a clip that holds the rounds together, but not completely enclosed. A magazine is encloses the rounds and hold them "in". A "stripper clip" is something used to load a gun/magazine, the name comes from the fact that the rounds are all in a single line and you "strip" them off the clip into the gun or the magazine.

While I agree, it is still used to help load a magazine. Weather it is internal, or external. Regardless if it is stripped off or not by the gun, something must remove the ammo.

 

[Ryninger]

While I agree, it is still used to help load a magazine. Weather it is internal, or external. Regardless if it is stripped off or not by the gun, something must remove the ammo.

"Yello Jacket, Green Jacket...Who gives a S**t?!?" Sorry couldn't resist a Happy Gilmore quote moment.

 

[ArmyMP]

its like a barrel shroud

 

[Jack Ryan]

Clip, magazine, gun, weapon, what ever. I don't think I know a single person over the age of 25 who wouldn't know exactly what you are talking about.

The real dummy is the guy who reads this and thinks suddenly he's an expert and spends all day looking for a thread where he can show off his new education or shows up at a range and starts running his mouth to some one who was probably using that exact range when "terminology" guy was still crapping yellow down his leg.

 

[ATM]

...or shows up at a range and starts running his mouth to some one who was probably using that exact range when "terminology" guy was still crapping yellow down his leg.

It was good to talk to you at the range last week, Jack.


However, in my defense, I did just get over the stomach flu.

 

[curraheeguns]

I received Form 3's from two different companies today and one used "SUPPRESSOR" and one used "SILENCER" so I don't think ATF really cares what you use.

 

[snorko]

IIRC "silencer" was actually a copyrighted term Hiram Maxim coined to market his suppressors. Kind of like Kleenex is used for any tisue.

Maxim Silencers - For Industrial Noise Control