Over the past 15 years, silencers (or suppressors) have been making a big comeback for hunters and shooters alike. Long derisively objectified with the same disdain reserved for poisoned daggers, brass knuckles and garrotes as the tool of a hit man or an assassin; the silencer is literally none of that and if you are serious about hunting, you owe it to yourself to improve your hunts by going suppressed.
Silencer Central is proud to bring their products and services to the Safari Club International membership as the Official Silencer Dealer for SCI. Our streamlined process makes it simple and less labor-intensive to own a silencer, and we ship your silencer directly to your door, once approved.
Suppressor Legality and Misinformation
You may have heard myths about mountains of paperwork to purchase a silencer and giving the ATF the right to search your home anytime, day or night without a warrant for simply owning an NFA item. Both myths are patently false.
For decades, many states enacted their own bans on silencers or restricted them for hunting. However, in the past 15 years these Draconian laws have mostly been repealed and silencer ownership is perfectly legal in 42 states and it is legal to hunt with a suppressed firearm in 40 states, as of this writing.
As a matter of fact, it is perfectly legal to take your silencer across state lines. Unlike other NFA items, there is no interstate travel form to be filled out with the ATF. You can even fly with a silencer if you declare it to TSA and lock it in the case with your firearm. Just make sure you do not travel through one of the eight states that prohibit silencer ownership. So, if you are leaving Texas for an elk or antelope hunt in the Western United States or even heading up to Alaska, your silencer can go with you safely and legally.
The benefits of hunting suppressed
The most obvious benefit of hunting with a suppressor is one of safety, particularly with regards to protecting your hearing. Noise induced hearing loss is the most common affliction for hunters. A lot of this comes from hunters forgoing hearing protection so that they can hear their surroundings.
Hunting with a silencer tames the sound of most gunshots by anywhere from 25 to 35 decibels, depending on the silencer and caliber in question. This is below the threshold for most hearing protection commonly worn in or over the ears. If you hunt with dogs, it protects their hearing as well.
In addition to protecting your hearing, the silencer allows you to use your unencumbered ears to listen for game, other hunters, livestock or predators — allowing you to be fully aware of your surroundings from a hearing perspective.
We found this best put forth in a 2015 letter from Governor Steve Bullock of Montana to the Montana Speaker of the House, stating: “Suppressors mitigate the sound of a shot, but do not silence it. The use of suppressors for hunting, when hunters cannot wear ear protection because they need to be aware of their surroundings, can help protect against hearing loss. This is especially true for our younger hunters, even those who are not actually hunting but are accompanying their parent in the field.”
Buying A Silencer with Silencer Central
At Silencer Central we make the entire process of buying a silencer extremely simple. Since 2005, founder Brandon Maddox has immersed himself in the regulations that govern suppressor ownership to streamline the buying process for his customers.
He started selling silencers on the gun show circuit and talked face-to-face with hunters and shooters for real world feedback on products. With steady growth over the last 15 years, Silencer Central has now expanded to the national level with over 75 employees and federal licenses to sell suppressors in all 42 states where legally permitted.
Silencer Central takes the formalities out of the paperwork with our digital process. You select the right suppressor for your firearm and let our expert compliance staff handle the paperwork which is emailed to you to digitally sign.
With the fingerprint kit, taking your prints and passport-style photo can be accomplished from the privacy of your own home. To make it even easier, we offer a 4-month, eZ-Pay option so you can pay for your silencer in installments.
Our free NFA Gun Trust is set up for you to better protect the ownership of what is really a lifetime investment. Once approved, you receive notification via email and text message, and we ship the silencer directly to your doorstep.
Additionally, we realize that not all hunting rifles ship from the factory with threaded barrels to attach to your silencer. Silencer Central’s in-house machine shop can thread your rifle for you and ship the barrel straight back to your house.
In addition to stocking popular brands, we also offer the BANISH Multi-Caliber Suppressors, a 100% titanium and user-serviceable line exclusively built to our demanding specifications.
Most manufacturers of rifle silencers offer their products as sealed units. Our BANISH 30 was built, based on input from varmint hunters who shoot hundreds of rounds in a day and needed to take their silencer apart for cleaning.
The BANISH 30 is a direct thread silencer rated from .17 HMR all the way up to .300 Wby. Mag., making it one of the most versatile .30-cal suppressors on the market! The BANISH Suppressor line also includes a .22-cal rimfire, a .223-cal centerfire, a quick-detach .30-cal, and a .45-cal pistol silencer.
Silence. Delivered.
The key to having a great hunt is to do your research, hire experts and guides. Let Silencer Central be your suppressor “hunting guide” and redefine the way you buy a silencer. We deliver silencers the simple way. You select your silencer; we manage your paperwork and your silencer is shipped directly to your doorstep. It’s the service that’s unheard of.