How to buy a suppressor, step by step.

If you've bought a gun online, you already know most of this: order, pick a local dealer, do paperwork there. A suppressor adds one federal form and a wait. Here's the whole path.

01Pick your can. Match the caliber and the thread pitch or mount of the gun it's going on. Not sure what fits? Ask us before you order — cheaper than guessing.
02Check out and pick your dealer. Same as buying a gun online: at checkout you pick the SOT dealer near you that receives it. Local to Simpsonville, SC? Pick us and skip the middleman.
03We ship it to your dealer. The suppressor transfers to your dealer's books and waits there through your approval. It doesn't sit in a warehouse across the country.
04File the Form 4. Your dealer files it on ATF eForms with your fingerprints and a passport-style photo — most shops digitize prints in a few minutes. The tax is $0 as of January 1, 2026. A copy goes to your local law enforcement; that's a notification, not a permission slip.
05Wait out the ATF review. Individual eForms have been running days to a couple weeks lately; trusts longer. ATF emails you when it's submitted and when it's decided.
06Pick it up. Photo ID, Form 4473, done. Bring the host gun if you want to check thread fit before you leave.

What you'll need

A government photo ID, fingerprints, a passport-style photo, and some patience. Filing through a trust? Everyone on it provides the same — trust vs. individual covers how to choose. The tax is $0 now, and the current review times are on the wait-times page.

Common questions

Do I pay now or after approval?

Now, like anything else you order. The can waits at your dealer while ATF does its thing — it's yours, it's just not in your safe yet.

Does the dealer charge a transfer fee?

Receiving dealers set their own Form 4 fee, commonly $50-150, paid to them. If you buy from us and we're your dealer, there's no separate transfer fee.

What if my Form 4 gets denied?

Rare if you can legally own a gun. If it happens, contact us — depending on the reason it's usually a correction and refile, and if it can't be fixed we'll sort out the purchase.

Can it just ship to my house after approval?

No. NFA items transfer in person at an SOT dealer. That's federal law, not store policy.

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Southern Armory Group — licensed FFL & Class 2 SOT, Simpsonville, SC. Last updated 2026-07-22. Education, not legal advice.