And a US flag in a courtroom is not a US flag if fringed in gold, nor can a subpoena refer to me when my name is in ALL CAPS.

There’s theoretical legal, and Supreme Court legal. I know which one guides my actions.

If you read the NFA’s text and know your physics, a barrel is a silencer since it reduces the noise of a firearm.

I’ve got a suppressed .177. It’s not NFA the same as the Maxim 50: Silencer is legally defined as something that works on a firearm, and if an airgun/antique firearm is explicitly not a firearm a component that’s permanently attached isn’t a silencer.

Thanks for your perseverance.

well i found some useful information including links to ATF opinions and posted it here but it got moderated. lame!!!

If you live in the First Circuit you might be exempt based on this federal court opinion:
https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-1st-circuit/1527670.html “We conclude, however, that the statute by its terms requires something more than a potential for adaptation and knowledge of it.   The statute does not refer either to capability or adaptation;  it speaks of a device “for” silencing or muffling.   The ordinary connotation of the word is one of purpose.” In that particular case the suppressor appeared to be homemade and would not fit on a firearm.

This topic appears to still be a raging debate on various airgun forums.

It’s a great question. I believe the external moderator is not considered a suppressor but I’m just some dude on the internet. Let me see if I can find something authoritative. The stealth and legality of these (and affordability to shoot) are all major advantages.

Yes, but the NFA applies to silencers by themselves, even when not installed on firearms, or when built in and not removable. I doubt the ATF would ignore a separate silencer on an air rifle. What if the silencing is built into the air rifle?

As I understand it, that isn’t classified as a firearm under federal law.

You should note, that some states like NJ categorizes air rifles as firearms, so your state may vary.

900 FPS is close to supersonic velocity, so the suppressor should make it stealthy in use…