No one wants to face a home defense scenario. Your heart will race, your mind will race and decision making becomes difficult. One thing often overlooked in that chaos is the impact of firing a gun indoors. The deafening report of each shot can damage your hearing and disorient you. That’s where suppressors come in. They’re not just for gun enthusiasts; they can be a vital part of your home defense setup.
In this blog, we’ll explore suppressors for home defense, including their pros and cons, how to buy one, and other important considerations. We’ll also cover why every gun owner should have self-defense legal protection. Members of Second Call Defense have access to critical legal and financial support after a defensive shooting.
What Are Suppressors?
A suppressor, commonly known as a “silencer,” (as well as a “can”) is a device attached to a firearm’s muzzle that will reduce the noise, muzzle flash, and recoil when the gun is fired. While it doesn’t make the firearm silent (which Hollywood glorifies), a suppressor can lower the gunshot’s noise by approximately 20 to 35 decibels, depending on the firearm’s caliber and the suppressor’s design. This reduction is significant in preventing permanent hearing damage, especially for frequent shooters or when fired in an enclosed location.
Suppressors are available for a wide range of firearms, including pistols, carbines, rifles, and even shotguns.
How Suppressors Work
Suppressors function by containing and redirecting the high-pressure gases that propel the bullet, allowing them to expand and cool slower than they otherwise would. This is accomplished by integrating a series of baffles or expansion chambers inside of the suppressor. Each baffle has a precisely aligned hole for the bullet to pass through. As the gases that propel the bullet exit the barrel, they enter the suppressor and are captured by the baffles which slow down the expansion and diminish pressure and temperature before the gases exit the suppressor. The process reduces sound, recoil and muzzle flash enhancing shooter comfort.
History of Suppressors
The 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) was enacted in response to Prohibition-era gang violence, imposing strict regulations on machine guns, short barrel rifles and shotguns, and suppressors. It imposed a $200 tax on the manufacture and transfer of these items; a significant amount of money at that time and required registration with the Secretary of the Treasury. Today, acquiring a suppressor still involves this tax, a background check, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) approval. Suppressors are legal in most states but are prohibited in California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.
Despite regulatory hurdles and cost, typically ranging between $500 – $1,500 not including the tax stamp, suppressors have become very popular again. The $200 tax is much more affordable today than in 1934. Many people have realized the benefits of suppressors, primarily hearing protection but also, the reduced noise may be welcomed by others around. They are even popular with hunters and growing in popularity for home defense.
Suppressors for Home Defense
Imagine discharging a 5.56 rifle in your hallway at 2:00 AM. The deafening blast, reaching 165 decibels or more, is not only startling but can cause immediate and potentially permanent hearing damage. That noise may also cause hearing damage to family members nearby. The resulting blast can be disorienting, adding further chaos and making follow-up shots and regaining situational awareness difficult.
Suppressors can significantly mitigate these dangers. By reducing the firearm noise and muzzle flash, suppressors help maintain your situational awareness and communication with family members during such critical moments. This reduction in auditory and visual disturbances can mean the difference between staying composed and addressing ongoing threats and becoming disoriented, potentially compromising your family’s safety.
Beyond immediate safety concerns, suppressors also play a crucial role in protecting your family’s long-term health. Children exposed to the intense noise of gunfire indoors are at risk of permanent hearing loss and may experience psychological trauma, including nightmares and heightened anxiety. By dampening the sound and flash of gunfire, suppressors help create a less jarring environment, reducing the likelihood of lasting physical and emotional harm to your loved ones.
When considering acquiring a suppressor for home defense, keep in mind that some firearms are notably louder and have greater muzzle flash than others. For instance, braced (or short-barreled) pistols can produce intense muzzle blasts which may lead to temporary blindness and disorientation in low-light indoor environments. Similarly, high-caliber handguns can generate substantial noise and flash, exacerbating these effects. Utilizing a suppressor will reduce the impacts from discharging a firearm in an enclosed environment and should be a strong consideration.
Incorporating a suppressor with your home defense firearm is not without its disadvantages though.
- Regulatory hurdles are cumbersome, time consuming and will add $200 to the cost of buying a suppressor. Additionally, it will take up to a year for the ATF to approve your purchase.
- Added weight and length to the firearm. This requires additional training to become used to the added weight and length of the firearm.
- Like firearms, suppressors will get dirty with heavy use which will degrade their effectiveness if not cleaned and maintained regularly.
- There is a potential for reduced terminal performance. This is a controversial subject, however, there is the possibility for reduced performance when utilizing a suppressor.
Adding a suppressor to your home defense setup helps protect your hearing and promotes a calmer, more controlled response in high-stress situations. It improves your ability to defend your family while reducing the harmful effects of firing a gun indoors.
Other Considerations
If thinking about a suppressor for home defense, here are some additional considerations:
Storage. If you traditionally use a handgun for home defense and have stored it in a small handgun safe, adding a suppressor is likely going to extend the length enough that it won’t fit. If you have kept your rifle or braced pistol in a discrete location but still easily accessible, adding a suppressor may make retrieval from that location more cumbersome. You may have to come up with a new storage location/scheme with a suppressor.
Total Cost. A quality suppressor typically costs between $800 and $1,200. When factoring in the $200 tax stamp, a suppressor mount (if not using a direct thread system), applicable background check fees (which vary by state), and the transfer fee charged by a licensed FFL dealer, the total expense to equip a home defense firearm with a suppressor can range from $1,000 to $1,500, possibly much more.
Timing. The ATF approval process used to take up to a year, however, in March 2024 the ATF announced a much more efficient process and approvals are now taking from a few days to a few weeks. Still, it’s not instant.
Subsonic Ammunition. Using subsonic ammunition with a suppressor further reduces noise by eliminating the sharp crack caused by a bullet breaking the sound barrier. This combination is especially effective in calibers like .300 Blackout, which was designed to perform well with subsonic loads. When paired with a suppressor, .300 Blackout offers excellent sound suppression and manageable recoil, making it a popular choice for home defense. The result is a quieter, more controlled shooting experience that’s easier on your ears and less disorienting in confined spaces.
The Process to Purchase a Suppressor
Suppressors are heavily regulated and the process is cumbersome but here it is:
- Choose and pay for the suppressor, but you can’t take possession until ATF approval; this is often called the suppressor’s “jail time.”
- Pay the $200 tax stamp to the at the time of purchase.
- Decide how to register ownership of the suppressor; as an individual or through an NFA trust:
- Individual: Simpler, with no legal fees or trust documents, but harder to transfer upon death.
b. Trust: More flexible for multiple or future owners and avoids transfer issues, but must be created beforehand and costs extra.
- Submit Form 4 or eForm4 through your FFL. This includes personal info, fingerprint cards, a passport-style photo, and suppressor details. You can complete fingerprints and photos before purchase; or afterward, but your application won’t be sent to the ATF until it’s complete. Many FFLs now have kiosks for this, allowing you to do everything at once.
- Then wait for ATF approval.
- Always keep the tax stamp and approved Form 4 with the suppressor to prove legal ownership.
The FFL will hold the suppressor until ATF approval. If the shop has a range, you may use your suppressor there; and only there; while it’s still in “jail.”
The Importance of Self Defense Legal Protection
Owning and using a suppressor legally involves more than just buying one. These NFA-regulated items come with strict federal requirements. For example, not keeping your tax stamp and approved Form 4 with your suppressor can result in serious legal consequences including fines, revocation of gun rights or even jail time.
And the legal risks don’t end there.
Not every law enforcement officer or District Attorney will respect your right to self-defense; especially if a suppressor is involved. An agenda-driven prosecutor could still file charges, and even if you’re acquitted in criminal court, your attacker’s family might come after you in civil court. These aren’t hypothetical situations; they’ve happened to responsible gun owners just like you.
Just as a quality firearm and suppressor can protect you in an emergency, having legal protection can safeguard your future. Ask yourself:
- Do you have a criminal defense attorney on retainer who understands NFA laws?
- Can you cover legal bills without draining your savings?
- Do you have $100,000 in cash for bail if needed?
- Can you get counseling after a traumatic self-defense event?
- Are you protected from civil lawsuits that could cost you your home or car?
If you answered “no” to any of these, it’s time to seriously consider self-defense legal protection. Because when your freedom is on the line, not knowing the rules isn’t just risky, it can ruin your life.
With Second Call Defense, you have an UNLIMITED legal defense budget at your disposal for both criminal and civil cases. Immediate up-front self-defense legal protection with nothing out of pocket, nothing to repay ever.
We have a 100% success rate defending our Members and we will never ask you to pay us back for your legal defense. Unlike other programs that make you pay upfront and reimburse you later, SCD covers your legal defense immediately, including attorney fees, bail, and even civil lawsuit damages. When the government or anti-gun prosecutors come after you for exercising your constitutional rights, SCD fights back without ever asking you to pay them back. Your freedom, future, and financial security are on the line, why take the risk?
Join Second Call Defense Today
Second Call Defense is not insurance and does not sell or promote insurance products. Second Call Defense is a membership organization that provides its members access to the “Second Amendment Support Foundation, Inc.,” which provides the means necessary to protect Second Call Defense members from the legal aftermath of exercising their right to self-defense. For an overview of the differences between Second Call Defense Member Benefits and traditional insurance, click here.
Conclusion
Suppressors are more than just tactical accessories, they’re practical tools that enhance safety, protect hearing, and reduce chaos in high-stress home defense situations. While the regulatory process can be burdensome, the benefits they offer are substantial. If you’re committed to protecting your family, a suppressor equipped firearm and proper self-defense legal protection, should be part of your plan. Second Call Defense ensures that you’re not just prepared for the moment of crisis, but for everything that comes after.
