I was wondering if anyone has used silencers for hunting or target shooting; I was thinking of buy one. The cost however is as much as the gun it's self. So I was hoping to get some feed back.



http://www.advanced-armament.com/products/pistols/entry.asp

oh no <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Silencers are considered a class 3 weapon requiring licensing and registration just like a fully automatic firearm. I'm going to move this to the campfire.

Due to the licencing requirements and cost, I'd say it's not worth it.

The Legalities Of Silencer Ownership

Contrary to popular belief, silencers are and always have been legal to own under federal law. There are, however, 16 states, plus the District of Columbia that prohibit the civilian ownership of silencers. At this time, the following states allow private ownership of silencers: AL, AR, AK, AZ, CO, CT, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, LA, ME, MD, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, and WY. Of the fifteen states that do not allow civilian ownership, CA, IA, KS, MA, MO, and MI allow Class 3 dealers and Class two manufacturers to possess silencers.

Silencers, like machine-guns, are proscribed under the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934, and are regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. The procedure for owning a silencer may seem daunting at first, but actually requires less paperwork than buying an automobile.

For hunting or target shooting I would recommend something like this: link

Regards, Vince

My personal recomendation is to just use a .22 rifle (or long barreled pistol) with CB longs. Out of a rifle barrel they make less noise than my kid's BB-gun. I have used them for pest control up through large racoons and they work just fine. They put a 29 grain bullet out the end of the barrel at about 750 fps, and are accurate out to well over 50 yards.

One night I shot 3 racoons out of a tree 75 feet from a nursing home and could see the nurses inside going about their work. They never knew I was there. (Well maybe my squad car parked in the lot had something to do with it.) However they never heard anything.

Stay Safe

They are not hard to make. You can make one, thread the barrel, and be testfiring it in half a day. You do have to pay the ATF a $200 tax, and get fingerprinted, tho. Getting the approval takes many months, too. A good one is 1" in OD, by 6" long, and needs a solvent soak and air nozzle blowing out every 300 rds or so.