Nearly 2.2 million suppressors were purchased by law-abiding citizens from May 2021 to July 2024, according to the data compiled figures by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). In these few short years, the total number of muzzle-mounted hearing protection devices owned by American citizens has nearly doubled.

Registration became mandatory under the National Firearms Act of 1934, and 2.66 million suppressors were sold between then and May 2021. In the aforementioned three-year period, another 2,193,123 were sold.

Why the sudden increase in sales? The most significant change came with the enhancement of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives electronic form three years ago. Silencer Central was one of the companies that quickly exploited the new assets to make suppressor ownership almost certain and faster than before. Instead of paying for one upfront and waiting nearly a year — while BATFE background checks and paperwork clear — the delay is now down to weeks, sometimes days.

“The biggest difference is that the customer will be ‘kept in the know,'” Brandon Maddox, Central shock absorber the owner and CEO said when the improved system went live. “They’ll get emails and updates about when it’s filed, when the tax stamp is paid and when it’s approved. So it creates an additional level of transparency for the consumer.”

Prices have also come down, new models are more versatile than ever and there are hundreds of models to choose from. With lower prices, more selection, ease of ownership and health benefits, this trend promises to only accelerate in the future.

Degradation and loss of hearing is permanent, which makes wearing proper protection at the firing line a critical safety measure. However, headphones and earplugs, even today’s advanced electronic versions, are not always ideal. Suppressors provide an additional level of protection in a different way. They ride on the muzzle of the firearm, not over or tucked into a shooter’s ears. It’s the perfect setup for hunters, who often hear an animal moving before it appears. He is friendly with the neighbors. Use any of the subsonic loads available today and you can even eliminate that familiar sound a bullet makes when it breaks the sound barrier.