Purchasing a Silencer

I will be picking up my new Ruger PC carbine on Monday. It has a threaded barrel, which was not my 1st choice, but these guns are hard to find and the threaded barrel model was available. I got to thinking about a silencer. Approximately how much do they cost and how difficult are they to obtain?

First off, I've got to say I don't see muzzle threading as anything but a PLUS--different perception.
Purchasing a suppressor follows this general path: selection(either doing the internet research or visiting a NFA dealer), application(filling out the paperwork, getting fingerprinted, paying the fee), waiting the interminable time for the application to be processed, and picking up the item at the dealer chosen to accept/conduct the transfer. The last wait time I suffered was less than 6 months vs an earlier one that took 13 months.
A first time NFA buyer has some options as far as the "ownership" issue. If purchased by an individual, the NFA item is in jeopardy if that person dies or becomes legally unable to own the item. Using a trust protects the asset and also has some storage advantages.
We use Silencer Shop for our transfers. You can find your local(?) dealer through their website. That greatly simplifies the buying, stamping, and delivery process IMHO.
Choices?? Lots of choices BUT availability is every bit as variable as any other gun/ammo type equipment at this time. Again, Silencer Shop has a large selection and tells you right up front which are in stock, on backorder subject to delivery delays, or just out of stock. Some local dealers keep display models on hand for a buyer to see first hand. Some dealers may charge a secondary transfer fee unrelated to the $200 NFA tax stamp.
Prices?? Prices for a 9mm "pistol" suppressor can range from $299 (Witt Machine Naughty 9) to some models close to $1K. The difference comes from name brand status/reputation, build material, and effective Db reduction.
Another factor is the capability of some "pistol caliber" suppressors to be used on rifles firing rifle caliber rounds. I have a 9mm from Torrent Mfg that is said to be capable of use on a 300 Win mag with 20+" barrel.
Here's what I found when I was developing my AR9 PDW over the past year: A carbine will handle a heavier suppressor and the weight isn't as noticeable as it would be on a handgun. I also found it difficult to find ammo that remained sub-sonic in a barrel over 5-6" long. My 10.5" barrel pushed even the 147 grain ammo labelled "sub-sonic" over the threshold resulting in a supersonic bullet signature. Only dedicated handloaded ammo stays sub-sonic from my 10.5" barrel although I did find some 150 grain ammo that had only around 25% that exceeded the speed of sound. A suppressor won't make your new carbine "movie quiet" but it has it's niche applications.

The above advice is good. All I'd add is that if you want a carbine that will be subsonic without special load considerations, it should be chambered in .45ACP. Suppressed 9mm is quiet enough to be hearing safe even for supersonic rounds; suppressed .45 is much quieter and more pleasant. My experience made me sell my 9mm carbine and buy something in .45.

ETA: a consideration that may not be evident from Mobuck's post: a silencer adds 6-9" to the barrel length of a weapon. For hunting rifles, this may not be a big issue. For something like a pistol caliber carbine or .22 rifle, it can get unwieldy. I believe the "PDW" he references is an AR-9 pistol with a 7-10" barrel; both the solutions I've looked at are similar. Just something to consider with your PC-9.

One issue, which is totally ridiculous.... you have to buy the suppressor and then apply for the tax stamp for it. The dealer keeps it until you / they have the stamp.....

Seems a lot of folks have no trouble jumping through the hoops to get approved.... I guess I'm the odd man out.... I was denied.... twice, sent the FBI (they actually do the background check) the paperwork showing my one criminal conviction 42 years ago was or at least now is a misdemeanor and non violent and it did not matter... they still say I'm a too much of a danger to society to own a suppressor.... and on top of that BAFTE kept my $200!

Yes, the one issue with suppressors is you need to shoot subsonic ammo with them to get any kind of sound reduction.

Ruger actually made a 10/22 with a suppressor built into the barrel.... I've shot one of these.. what you hear is the bolt cycling and then a thump when the round hits the target... Urban legion says they made and sold these to the Israelis.

"Yes, the one issue with suppressors is you need to shoot subsonic ammo with them to get any kind of sound reduction."
This is one of the things that many folks fail to understand. Even though the muzzle blast is attenuated, the bullet's supersonic signature isn't. From the shooter's perspective, it's still loud but not ear ringing sort of loud. Shooting sub-sonic ammo is entirely different and way more fun but takes some allowances for drop/wind drift. You can hear the 10-22 bolt cycle or the striker drop on the RAR.
Another quirky thing is bullet shape is a factor of bullet signature. A short fat bullet is going to disrupt more air than a skinny sleek bullet. A 17HMR bullet @ 1800 FPS doesn't make as much "pop" as a 22lr bullet @ 1200FPS. A .223 @ 2800 doesn't make much more "pop" than a 9mm @ 1200.

https://www.silencershop.com/

These guys sure have a good website,,, with Education on how to acquire.

The two guys that I know acquired them thru Silencer Shop, I got to scratch my itch with theirs so I have since not felt the need. :roll:

Thank you to all who filled me in on the purchase of a silencer. For some reason I do not receive email notification of a reply to my subscribed threads. As a result I sometimes take a while to respond to an answer to a question. I have checked my profile and all seems correct. This has been going on for a couple of years.

Sorry I'm slow to this thread. I bought two through Silencer Shop last year - both 30 caliber cans. You can use the 30 caliber suppressors on smaller rifles, but you can't go from smaller to bigger. I went through a local dealer who is part of Silencershop.com. I truly believe it is the way to go. He took care of all the details for me and showed me where to sign paperwork, took my mugshot for the application, and did my fingerprints. The best part was had me bring a couple rifles with and try out a few suppressors to see what I liked the best. Both took about 6 months for the tax stamps to clear. I went with a trust so that I can legally add family members to ensure if something was to happen to me my family will have no problem keeping them.

I'll add this bit of information: When choosing your suppressor, give some thought to what you may want/need in the future. Don't go down a dead end road with your initial purchase so to speak.
Our first purchases were based on availability and although those suppressors are doing a good job for us, we found other options that would have given us more flexibility. One of my recent purchases is a Rugged .30 cal with an extra .22 cal end cap that's every bit as quiet as a dedicated .22 cal device. The quick attach fits any Rugged device. I also have YHM and I'm finding those are very good performance wise. The YHM mounts are universal through out their entire line so when deer season is over, it only takes a minute to swap the device onto one of the coyote caliber rifles.
Some suppressor manufacturers are using a threaded base on the tube which allows switching mounting inserts. My Torrent has a threaded base which allows changing from the plain 1/2x28 direct thread mount to a YHM quick attach. Do a LOT of research before deciding which brand/type to buy.
Something else I should add. At first, I didn't feel that a QA attachment was a big advantage but later I learned that it really is. Here's why, if you damage the threads on a totally welded construction suppressor, it has to go back to the maker and hopefully doesn't cost too much or if you damage the barrel threads, that's going to require cutting/rethreading your barrel. It's far less likely you'll damage the QA interface but if that happens, it's $60-70 and a couple minutes with a wrench and barrel clamp.