Suppressors are safety devices, first and foremost. They protect people's hearing when they shoot. Not all of them work well enough to forego ear protection, but some do. Almost none sound like they do in the movies.
There's really no reason for them to be regulated via the NFA, but they are...but it might be a bit easier in the future to get one.
Over at our sister site, Bearing Arms, editor Cam Edwards posted this earlier today:
The National Rifle Association alerted its members on Monday to a provision in the megabill that it says "would reduce the National Firearms Act (NFA) tax imposed on suppressors from $200 to $0. However, this legislation would continue to subject suppressors to the other unconstitutional provisions of the NFA."
"The NRA fully supports removal of suppressors from the NFA and will work to achieve that goal as the Reconciliation Process continues," said John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA.
This Reconciliation Bill only requires a simple majority vote in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. There may be time to include language in the Reconciliation Bill which would not only remove the tax, but would remove suppressors from the United States tax code and NFA completely.
The Reconciliation process will go very quickly, and your member of Congress needs to hear from you! In order to improve this legislation and have suppressors completely removed from the NFA, please call your U.S. Representative today and ask them to include Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act in the Reconciliation Bill!
Zeroing out the NFA tax on suppressors would be a big step, but as the NRA notes, that only addresses one of the concerns that Second Amendment advocates have. Yes, the tax is an onerous burden on gun owners, but the registration required by the NFA is equally problematic.
It will provide the benefit of making suppressors more attainable as there would be no more tax stamp, but the registration and other requirements for an NFA item are a real issue for a lot of Americans, and for good reason.
For what it's worth, the Gun Owners of America, which doesn't have the history of compromising on gun rights the NRA has, issued its own press release earlier today calling for the budget's passage.
Gun Owners of America (GOA) today led a coalition of top firearms manufacturers and industry leaders in urging Congress to repeal the unconstitutional gun taxes imposed under the National Firearms Act of 1934. In a letter sent to Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, GOA and its No Compromise Alliance partners demanded that lawmakers use budget reconciliation to pass the Hearing Protection Act and the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act—fully and without compromise.
The coalition emphasized that reconciliation offers a rare opportunity to repeal the outdated $200 transfer tax on suppressors and short-barreled rifles without triggering the Senate filibuster or violating Byrd Rule restrictions.
The letter was co-signed by members of the No Compromise Alliance, including:
A3 Industries, COX Arms, Disavowed Group, Freedom Ordnance, Global Defense, Hi-Point Firearms, KCI USA, Gideon Optics, Matador Arms, Mindless Intel, MKS Supply, Next Level Armament, Primary Weapons Systems, Strassell’s Machine Inc., Palmetto State Armory, WOOX, Stern Defense, Delta Team Tactical, EAA Corp, Fort Scott Munitions, and Tippman Arms.Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement:
“Gun owners sent a clear message in 2024: restore the Second Amendment. Congress has the tools to repeal these outdated and unconstitutional taxes. There’s no excuse not to act.”
Aidan Johnston, GOA’s Director of Federal Affairs, issued the following statement:
“This is a moment for Republicans to lead with boldness. Gun owners don’t want half-measures; they want results, and reconciliation gives Congress the power to deliver.”
So is this a compromise?
GOA seems to feel that it is, though I'd argue we're still getting better than we've currently got.
That said, the reality is that we have a golden opportunity to try and push through both the Hearing Protection Act and the SHORT Act in this country, particularly if we follow the Democrats' favorite tactic of attaching it to must-pass measures that they can't afford to vote against, then spin literally every no vote as a vote against the what some are calling the hostage puppy scenario.
I personally say take what we can get here and still pass these measures. That way, we're guaranteed something out of this Congress, but I get where GOA is coming from, too.
