 [American Thinker] Most Americans know of suppressors—usually misgendered as "silencers"—from the movies. In that medium, suppressors produce no more sound than a dainty sneeze, and are used only by assassins and tier 1 special operators. It’s all very dramatic, but reality, as usual, is different.
Suppressors were invented in 1902 by MIT graduate, Hiram Percy Maxim, son of Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim of machinegun fame. Patented in 1909, his suppressors quickly became popular. One graced Teddy Roosevelt’s Winchester model 1894 lever action rifle.
However, in 1934, the National Firearms Act was passed, imposing licensing and registration requirements on automatic arms and suppressors, including a $200 dollar, non-transferrable, tax. In 1934, this amounted to a substantial portion of the average American’s annual income, which stalled suppressor development and sales for nearly half a century.
However, in recent years, interest in suppressors has boomed, certainly in reaction to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Democrats/socialists/communists (D/s/cs) in general, and their gun banning intentions. Circa 2021, just under three million were in private hands. More currently by 2023, there were nearly four million. That number has surely increased since, as circa 2021 applications/approvals were rising by as much as 17% per year, though the approval process can take up to a year.
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