Silencer Central After eForm Approval

[MT_Wyatt]

The original intent of posting actual timeline is helpful to others considering silencers currently.

Now we're at:
a) Trust pissed off guy on the internet (I experienced similar and would agree SC sucks at shipping on the tail end of their "easy" process")
OR
b) Trust lawyers dealing with ATF and negotiating agreements/clarifications on how to execute a process.

I'm going with b, but can sympathize with a.

IF there's other places like Capital Armory that are executing their process differently, so be it - BUT are they mailing to your door? Likely mailing to an FFL for an in-person transfer. The "ship to your door" likely incurs some special approach/negotiated process that may not be clearly codified in U.S.C.

I just want to stop seeing the same arguments repeated in various threads about the same thing which no one posting on an internet forum is gonna change. Let's agree the process sucks, SC adds time vs using local FFL (which after 6+ months is kinda whatever for most), and move on.

 

[Dave C.]

" the licensee must, prior to shipment or delivery of the firearm,"

Once again, for those challenged with reading comprehension just like the SC atty's, NOTHING in those excerpts posted says they must wait until your ATF approval is obtained before submitting the paperwork to local LE. This can be and is done by others at the time of submission to ATF or at any other time while waiting for the approval to come back. SC does this after your ATF approval simply to save themselves the potential cost of a stamp should your application be denied by ATF.

 

[5811]

" the licensee must, prior to shipment or delivery of the firearm,"

Once again, for those challenged with reading comprehension just like the SC atty's, NOTHING in those excerpts posted says they must wait until your ATF approval is obtained before submitting the paperwork to local LE. This can be and is done by others at the time of submission to ATF or at any other time while waiting for the approval to come back. SC does this after your ATF approval simply to save themselves the potential cost of a stamp should your application be denied by ATF.

What about the part I put in bold?

the firearm is subject to
the provisions of the National Firearms Act and has been approved for transfer under 27 CFR
Part 479;

 

[Dave C.]

What about the part I put in bold?

the firearm is subject to
the provisions of the National Firearms Act and has been approved for transfer under 27 CFR
Part 479;

It does NOT say they must wait for those requirements to be met before submitting the letter to local LE--only that it can't be shipped until the NFA requirements are met.

 

[5811]

It does NOT say they must wait for those requirements to be met before submitting the letter to local LE--only that it can't be shipped until the NFA requirements are met.

Did you read the document? Those guidelines are for how to complete the 4473 for non-over-the-counter sales. The requirement I posted does not apply to shipping the item, it applies to the 4473, which is what gets sent to CLEO.

 

[5811]

Let me try one last time to make this clear. When you apply for a Form 4, a copy of your completed Form 4 is submitted to your CLEO. Every silencer dealer does this, even Silencer Central and Capitol Armory. This is required to be done at the time of submission.

After your ATF Form 4 application is approved, you must complete and sign an ATF Form 4473, the firearms transaction record, before you can take possession of your item. When you pick up a silencer at a gun shop counter, you provide ID and complete and sign this form electronically and walk out with your item.

When you are getting your item mailed to you, you complete and sign this form electronically through Silencer Central or Capitol Armory. This counts as a non-over-the-counter sale, which adds requirements to the ATF Form 4473. These requirements include mailing the 4473 to the CLEO with certified delivery method and a subsequent 7 day wait before your item can be mailed.

I hope this makes sense for anyone reading it. I used to believe that Silencer Central was trying to save stamps and adding time to the end because they were cutting corners. I was wrong. They are doing what the regulations require.

Having said that, and back on topic, I am day 32 post approval without shipping. I did, however, get an email saying they might ship soon......

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Let me try one last time to make this clear. When you apply for a Form 4, a copy of your completed Form 4 is submitted to your CLEO. Every silencer dealer does this, even Silencer Central and Capitol Armory. This is required to be done at the time of submission.

After your ATF Form 4 application is approved, you must complete and sign an ATF Form 4473, the firearms transaction record, before you can take possession of your item. When you pick up a silencer at a gun shop counter, you provide ID and complete and sign this form electronically and walk out with your item.

When you are getting your item mailed to you, you complete and sign this form electronically through Silencer Central or Capitol Armory. This counts as a non-over-the-counter sale, which adds requirements to the ATF Form 4473. These requirements include mailing the 4473 to the CLEO with certified delivery method and a subsequent 7 day wait before your item can be mailed.

I hope this makes sense for anyone reading it. I used to believe that Silencer Central was trying to save stamps and adding time to the end because they were cutting corners. I was wrong. They are doing what the regulations require.

Having said that, and back on topic, I am day 32 post approval without shipping. I did, however, get an email saying they might ship soon......

That’s messed up. I got mine in about 2 weeks from time of approval. Have you called them?

Also, I’ll probably order a back takedown 22 from Capitol armory just to prove you are correct on this one.

 

[5811]

That’s messed up. I got mine in about 2 weeks from time of approval. Have you called them?

Also, I’ll probably order a back takedown 22 from Capitol armory just to prove you are correct on this one.

Ive chatted with them. They other part is, they mail to their in-state dealer in batches. They dont send them as soon as the 7 day is up, one by one.

Since I got the email today, 12/01, I am suspicious that they send all the cans that are ready out on the first of the month. Or maybe its some states on the 1st, some on the 15th, something like that? So some of it is luck of the draw of when you are full-go vs their mailing schedule. I also know they were supposedly having trouble keeping up with approvals for a while, or may still be.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Ive chatted with them. They other part is, they mail to their in-state dealer in batches. They dont send them as soon as the 7 day is up, one by one.

Since I got the email today, 12/01, I am suspicious that they send all the cans that are ready out on the first of the month. Or maybe its some states on the 1st, some on the 15th, something like that? So some of it is luck of the draw of when you are full-go vs their mailing schedule. I also know they were supposedly having trouble keeping up with approvals for a while, or may still be.

Maybe since I’m in Alaska they send fewer of them? Who knows less people, less silencers to send? I’ve gotten 4 silencers from them and all of them were pretty much exactly within the 2 week time line: approval, 7 day Cleo thing, shipping notification, delivery to some place in Homer AK, then in my P.O. Box a few days after that.

 

[5811]

It looks like it has finally shipped and I have an estimated delivery date.

For me, it will have been 39 days post approval.

Add that to the 21 days from purchase to submission, thats extra 60 days for Silencer Central vs LGS.

But I did get a free t shirt, so that makes up for it and then some!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

It looks like it has finally shipped and I have an estimated delivery date.

For me, it will have been 39 days post approval.

Add that to the 21 days from purchase to submission, thats extra 60 days for Silencer Central vs LGS.

But I did get a free t shirt, so that makes up for it and then some!

Hopefully you got something better than a Banish for all that hassle.

 

[5811]

Hopefully you got something better than a Banish for all that hassle.

Hey, that banish is Guns and Ammo silencer of the year in 2020!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Hey, that banish is Guns and Ammo silencer of the year in 2020!

I’m mostly joking. I have one. It’s pretty decent.

 

[Bluefish]

Finally tried out my Banish 46. It’s huge, but makes my 45-70 with subs sound like a pellet gun. Well made can, just big and heavy (20oz) compared to welded Ti 30 cal cans. Fortunately my experience on the back end wasn’t as bad. They sent the forms out right away, then it was 3 days to ship it. A little less than 3 weeks post approval. I would only use them if I wanted a can available only from them. With form 3’s taking a while the front end with SS is slow to get it shipped to a dealer. Not an issue if it’s in stock at SC as it’s just assign a SN and submit.

 

[Buelrdr29]

First range day for me with my Banish 30. Shot through it with my 7mm rem mag. It was a better recoil reduction than my muzzle brake. Noise was greatly reduced. A lot of conversations at the range with curious folks. Totally happy with the product.

Also called Silencer Central today to get trust paperwork sent to me and updated with cotrustees. Process was smooth. Took about 25 minutes, about 18 of that was waiting in line on hold.

 

[5811]

Just to put a bow on this one for me, I received my B30 today. Here is the data from my experience for anyone that sees this in their research in the future.

3/9/23 - B30 purchased
3/30/23 - Form 4 Certified via Silencer Central
10/29/23 - Form 4 Approved
11/7/23 - Certified Mail Delivery of 4473 to CLEO
11/14/23 - 7 day wait period expires
12/1/23 - Item shipped from Silencer Central to state shop
12/4/23 - Item shipped from state shop to me
12/13/23 - Item delivered

Thats 279 total days from purchase, 213 days of which were waiting for approval. Silencer Central added approximately 66 days to the total time required from purchase to possession. It was 16 days from approval until the CLEO 7 day wait was complete, before the multi-step shipping began, so I remain skeptical of anyone who says 11 days from approval to ownership, but this is just one person's experience. I live in the mid-west, for shipping reference.

Overall, the process was fairly easy, as promised. The extra two months might not seem like a huge difference if you are already waiting 6-7, but you might feel different when that time comes. If you are able to purchase at a local shop, you might be able to be printed, photographed, trusted, and submitted in 30 minutes, and you can pick your can up the day you are approved.

Its a significant difference, and the process is much easier at a local shop. You dont have to mail anything, or ink-fingerprint yourself, or take a photo and send it in. You dont have make an appointment to certify your form 4 via computer. You dont have to make sure you are home to sign for the delivery or wait in line at the post office. At the end of the day, a local gun store is easier and faster, if you have the option. Personally, I would have to move somewhere 8+ hours drive from a shop before it made sense for me to order SC again.

 

[wind gypsy]

I bought my first can from a store, had a local attorney draft up a trust, I and other trustee got finger prints separately at our local cop shops, submitted notice to CLEO ourselves, went to a pharmacy to get passport pics ourselves. The local shop effed up the paperwork and it took almost two years to get my can.

This was before efile but the process was many magnitudes more pain in the ass than what it sounds like SC would be. I assume there are shops who better have their poop together but my experience sucked.

Next suppressors were purchased from capitol armory and experience has been much better.

 

[5811]

I bought my first can from a store, had a local attorney draft up a trust, I and other trustee got finger prints separately at our local cop shops, submitted notice to CLEO ourselves, went to a pharmacy to get passport pics ourselves. The local shop effed up the paperwork and it took almost two years to get my can.

This was before efile but the process was many magnitudes more pain in the ass than what it sounds like SC would be. I assume there are shops who better have their poop together but my experience sucked.

Next suppressors were purchased from capitol armory and experience has been much better.

I started with Silencer Central because a lot of online promoters talked about how easy they made the process, and I was a little intimidated to get started. They did make it pretty easy compared to the past and definitely easier than your initial path.

But after I broke through with SC, I stopped by my local shop. They have a camera and a screen for photos and a fingerprint reader. I want to say it was literally 20 minutes from me pointing at the one I wanted in the case to form 4 submitted. I even ordered cans online and paid 75 bucks for the form 3 transfer to run them through my lgs, also very easy.

The whole thing is way easier than I had in my head. Had I known that, I'd have started locally. I guess my advice for anyone consisdering SC would be check locally for a shop with their poop together first. If you strike out, SC isn't a bad option. Just be prepared for extra work/time.

 

[Andouille]

I'll put in a plug for Parker at SC customer service. I recently needed to change out the end cap (unused) for my can to a different thread and they sent out an exchange cap the next day. They also previously sent me an end cap before my silencer was even approved so a gunsmith could have it to determine appropriate thread/shoulder for my muzzle. My silencer took maybe an extra 20-30 days going through SC, but I'm not bothered because overall the process was smooth and well supported.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Just to put a bow on this one for me, I received my B30 today. Here is the data from my experience for anyone that sees this in their research in the future.

3/9/23 - B30 purchased
3/30/23 - Form 4 Certified via Silencer Central
10/29/23 - Form 4 Approved
11/7/23 - Certified Mail Delivery of 4473 to CLEO
11/14/23 - 7 day wait period expires
12/1/23 - Item shipped from Silencer Central to state shop
12/4/23 - Item shipped from state shop to me
12/13/23 - Item delivered

Thats 279 total days from purchase, 213 days of which were waiting for approval. Silencer Central added approximately 66 days to the total time required from purchase to possession. It was 16 days from approval until the CLEO 7 day wait was complete, before the multi-step shipping began, so I remain skeptical of anyone who says 11 days from approval to ownership, but this is just one person's experience. I live in the mid-west, for shipping reference.

Overall, the process was fairly easy, as promised. The extra two months might not seem like a huge difference if you are already waiting 6-7, but you might feel different when that time comes. If you are able to purchase at a local shop, you might be able to be printed, photographed, trusted, and submitted in 30 minutes, and you can pick your can up the day you are approved.

Its a significant difference, and the process is much easier at a local shop. You dont have to mail anything, or ink-fingerprint yourself, or take a photo and send it in. You dont have make an appointment to certify your form 4 via computer. You dont have to make sure you are home to sign for the delivery or wait in line at the post office. At the end of the day, a local gun store is easier and faster, if you have the option. Personally, I would have to move somewhere 8+ hours drive from a shop before it made sense for me to order SC again.

I ordered a banish 30 and a banish 22 from them in 2020, that was the final days of the paper form and it took 15 months, I don’t even remember the timeline on it all.

When I ordered my TBAC 7 and my mask 22, they already had my info on file. There was about 10 days wait on the front end because they actually had to get the silencers from TBAC and dead air. The wait on both was around 200 days, the mask was approved first and I had it within 2 weeks, the TBAC ultra 7 was also in my mailbox around 2 weeks after it was approved. There was definetly a wait at the end but there was no drama.

I should have just ordered the TBAC the first time and not been talked into the banish 30 by their reps. The second time I ordered the guy was like “TBAC is ok but you should just get another banish 30”….nope.