Quote:
Originally posted by DCCUK
Hello David
You say - tax stamp had arrived from BATF.
Do you have to pay the BATF for a Silencers in the US? BR DCCUK
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We have to pay a federal tax to own a silencer, sawed-off shotgun, machine gun and a few other things.
It's legal to own them, but the tax and background check are a nuisance.
This is a holdover from the 1920's and 30's when "the mob" was very fond of these types of weapons, so logically, the government decided to pass laws making it difficult for honest citizens to own them. (The mob wasn't bothered in the slightest.)
At the time, the $200 stamp for a silencer or machine gun was prohibitive to say the least. Now it is more at the nuisance level.
It takes about 6-8 weeks to get your tax stamp back and no one with a clean criminal record gets turned down. Of course, it wouldn't take so long, but all those mobsters waiting in line to comply with the law tend to slow things a bit. <grin>