10/10/2026
For those following the Silencer situation.
As of today, the official guidance FFL's like me have received is this - The ATF has officially ruled that you no longer need to register Silencers through the NFA. This means no more finger prints and photos, no more 24 to 72 hour waiting for the form to be approved. You can now buy these items using only a form 4473, the same form you fill out to buy a fi***rm. The option to use a form 4 to register silencers through the NFA is still available, but voluntary.
While this is a great thing for most states, it is a very bad thing here in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, Silencers are illegal to own unless you register them through the NFA using a form 4. For the moment, you can still register these items through the NFA using a form 4, so Silencers are still legal to purchase in Pennsylvania.
The problem is this - If the ATF eliminates silencers from the NFA completely and there is no way to register them through the NFA, they will become illegal to buy in Pennsylvania. This could happen very soon and without warning. State Senator Judy Ward R-30, is drafting a bill in Harrisburg to change Pennsylvania law so that Silencers are no longer required to be registered through the NFA.
I strongly suggest that you contact your state representatives and tell them they need to support and vote for this change. Right now we have a Democrat anti-gun Governor and Democrat anti-gun controlled House of representatives. Republicans only control the senate. that's not enough to change the law. Again, if the law doesn't change and the ATF removes Silencers from the NFA, you will no longer be able to buy Silencers in Pennsylvania.
Google "Judy Ward - State representative" for information on the bill. Facebook will not let me insert a link to it here (Big surprise, right)