Episode Details

State of the Second sits down with Brandon, the CEO and founder of Silencer Central, to walk through how the largest suppressor dealer in the country got started and why buying a can is easier now than it has ever been. Brandon explains that the company began in 2005 after he moved to South Dakota, started shooting prairie dogs, and bought a suppressor to make the long drives worthwhile. A pharmacist by trade with an MBA, he realized the real obstacle for customers was the paperwork, so he built a business model around making the process simple. Silencer Central now holds a federal firearms license in all 42 states where suppressors are lawful and ships cans directly to a customer's front door once the form is approved, a process he traces back to a federal statute and the first ATF variance he helped create.

Much of the conversation covers the current state of ATF approvals. Brandon recounts the recent eForms outage that stopped his roughly 30 agents from entering and submitting applications for several days, and the ATF town hall on Friday where the agency committed to working applications in real time and batch approving them. He breaks down why 70% of FBI NICS checks return an instant approval while the other 30% get delayed for manual review, and why trusts can slow things down when many people are listed on them. He also makes the case that the trust is the best way to buy a suppressor, because it lets you add family and friends who can use the can and lets you decide who inherits it.

The hosts, John and Kaylee, push Brandon on activism, data security, and product. He argues that suppressors are not a public safety issue in the ATF's eyes, that the only crimes he has seen involve homemade cans, and that getting suppressors off the NFA depends on people staying involved and educating their elected officials. He details the company's heavy investment in cybersecurity, naming the Banished Backcountry as his favorite can and describing the Speed K built with Federal for the growing law enforcement market. He closes by reminding listeners that one suppressor can run on multiple calibers and that approval times are fast right now, making it a good time to buy.

Links

• www.silencercentral.com

Questions this episode answers

How did Silencer Central get started, and why did a pharmacist end up selling suppressors?

Brandon, a pharmacist by trade with an MBA, started the company in 2005 after moving to South Dakota and buying a suppressor for prairie dog shooting. He realized the real obstacle for buyers was the paperwork, so he built the business around making the process simple.

How can Silencer Central ship a suppressor directly to your front door in all 42 legal states?

Silencer Central holds a federal firearms license in all 42 states where suppressors are lawful and ships a can directly to the customer's door once the ATF form is approved. Brandon traces the model back to a federal statute and the first ATF variance he helped create.

What happened when the ATF eForms system went down, and how did it affect dealers?

A recent eForms outage stopped Brandon's roughly 30 agents from entering and submitting applications for several days. At an ATF town hall that Friday, the agency committed to working applications in real time and batch approving them.

Why is a gun trust the best way to buy a suppressor instead of buying as an individual?

Brandon argues the trust is the best way to buy because it lets you add family and friends who can legally use the can, and it lets you decide who inherits it. He notes trusts can slow approvals when many people are listed on them.

Why do 70% of suppressor background checks get approved instantly while 30% get delayed?

Brandon explains that 70% of FBI NICS checks return an insta