This is the Best Way to Buy a Suppressor (ft. Silencer Central)

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. Linkswww.silencercentral.comQuestions 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 instant approval, while the other 30% are pulled for manual review and delayed. Trusts can add time when many people are named on them. What are the most common myths and misconceptions people have about suppressors? Brandon pushes back on the idea that suppressors are a public safety issue, noting the only suppressor crimes he has seen involve homemade cans. He also addresses myths about lists and the notion that a suppressor slows the bullet. How does Silencer Central protect customer data like Social Security numbers and fingerprints? Going fully digital meant handling sensitive customer data, so Silencer Central invested heavily in cybersecurity. Brandon describes data protection as a major focus of the company's operations. What makes Silencer Central's suppressors different, and which can is Brandon's favorite? Brandon names the Banished Backcountry as his favorite can and points to the Speed K, built with Federal for the growing law enforcement market. He notes one suppressor can run on multiple calibers, and says approval times are fast right now. Chapters 00:00 — Welcome and meeting Brandon from Silencer Central 00:13 — The backstory: prairie dogs, South Dakota, and the first suppressors 02:22 — Largest dealer in the nation: dealer, manufacturer, wholesaler 04:16 — Shipping cans to your door and the first ATF variance 05:51 — The eForms outage and faster approval times 08:55 — Real-time approvals, NICS checks, and batch processing 13:10 — Trust vs individual: why the trust is the best way to buy 15:33 — Staying involved and educating elected officials 20:55 — Getting hunters to fall in love with suppressor hunting 23:27 — Suppressor myths: illegal, lists, and slowing the bullet 29:44 — Zero tolerance pressure across 42 FFLs 36:00 — Going fully digital and protecting customer data 40:02 — Manufacturing: titanium, hunters, and cleanable cans 43:30 — Best can on the market, the Speed K, and where to buy About the guest Brandon is the CEO and founder of Silencer Central, based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. A pharmacist by trade with an MBA, he went to school at Chapel Hill, North Carolina and worked in the pharmaceutical industry before moving to South Dakota and starting the business in 2005. He grew up in the Southeast. Silencer Central holds a federal firearms license in all 42 states where suppressors are lawful, and by his account is the largest suppressor dealer in the nation, serving as dealer, manufacturer, and wholesaler. He sits on the board for the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and stays active politically at the state and federal level. Key quotes "we feel like the largest obstacle for a customer buying a suppressor is dealing with the paperwork." — Brandon "the trust is really the best way to buy a suppressor." — Brandon "of all the people I've ever met, I've never met anyone that hunted with a suppressor who didn't say, I'll never hunt again without one." — Brandon "anytime you see a crime done with a suppressor, whether it be hunting or non hunting, it's always one they made themselves." — Brandon "Apathy is, I think, one of the most dangerous things that can happen with the second amendment." — Kaylee "we've really spent almost 20 years focusing. How do we make the process easier and very customer focused instead of dealer focused" — Brandon