schreib
Stupid Newbie
Is a silencer for a .177 BB/Pellet gun legal or do I need to go through all this paperwork/fees to be a squirrel assassin for something stupid like that? 
Stupid Legal Question - Silenced BB gun
- Thread starter schreib
- Start date
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boatbiologist
Active Member
Legal if permanently attached to barrel.
NFA if it comes off.
NFA if it comes off.
schreib
Stupid Newbie
Ah crap, guess I need to look at new bb guns. Thanks for the answer.
Indiana Jones
Wolverine
Do you have a link? Someone once before posted its not NFA if its not a "firearm". I'm confused.
Nanook
F-notso-NG-anymore
Gamo whisper.
/thread.
/thread.
I have a GAMO whisper and it came home with me the same day I bought it. Unless laws have changed since then, they are not NFA items.
boatbiologist
Active Member
From ATF FAQ pages:
Q: Are Paintball and/or Airgun Sound Suppressers NFA firearms?
The terms “firearm silencer” and “firearm muffler” mean any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, and any part intended only for use in such assembly or fabrication.
Numerous paintball and airgun silencers tested by ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch have been determined to be, by nature of their design and function, firearm silencers. Because silencers are NFA weapons, an individual wishing to manufacture or transfer such a silencer must receive prior approval from ATF and pay the required tax. See also “What are the required transfer procedures for an individual who is not qualified as a manufacturer, importer, or dealer of NFA firearms?” and “How does an individual obtain authorization to make an NFA firearm?” for application details.
If you have any further questions as to the classification of a paintball or airgun silencer, please send a written request to ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch.
[18 U.S.C. 921(a)(24), 26 U.S.C. 5845(a), 27 CFR 479.11]
This interpretation is why airgun silencers are permanently attached to the barrel so as not to have to make the NFA/nonNFA argument.
