Selling suppressors

[Biggredchev]

How does one legally sell a suppressor? Im looking into buying another one but this one would float between my 9mm handguns and it would have to potential to be sold one day. Anyway, how does selling one work?

 

[MontereyC6]

For an instate sale, you just fill out a form 4, and the buyer sends it in. Once approved, the form 4 goes back to the seller, who then transfers the suppressor and the approved form 4 to the buyer.

 

[maxwelhse]

For an instate sale, you just fill out a form 4, and the buyer sends it in. Once approved, the form 4 goes back to the seller, who then transfers the suppressor and the approved form 4 to the buyer.

Would it be common practice, or maybe even preferred, to put a dealer in the middle of the transaction so the seller isn't sort of on the hook for the time it takes for the form to come back?

 

[flatlander]

For an instate sale, you just fill out a form 4, and the buyer sends it in. Once approved, the form 4 goes back to the seller, who then transfers the suppressor and the approved form 4 to the buyer.

I've sold 3 or 4 exactly like this. I held onto the items until the stamp came back and that was that. That was in the days of a 60 - 90 day wait time though

 

[Biggredchev]

Alright, i wasnt sure if the existing paperwork could just be transferred or if a new stamp needed to filed.

 

[MontereyC6]

Would it be common practice, or maybe even preferred, to put a dealer in the middle of the transaction so the seller isn't sort of on the hook for the time it takes for the form to come back?

I've purchased a couple of used cans, one was through a mutual dealer friend, the other was just me and him. The buyer can call the atf and see when the form 4 is approved, no reason to bother you.

On a side, you should know that the market for used cans is bad. The return is even worse. If you can get half of your investment in a particular suppressor, consider yourself lucky!

 

[kaveman]

When you purchase a suppressor you should consider it a permanent acquisition. Yeah, you can sell it but the chances of your doing so is slim. Might as well trash it.

If you sell it out of state, you're selling a used(and often out-dated or unsupported design)and you do need to go through an out of state dealer(which means two $200 taxed transfers, two form4 approvals, shipping x 2, and some sort of incentive $$ for the dealer. If you originally bought the suppressor at retail for say $600 and you have a $200 tax sunk into it you're likely to think of it as an $800 'asset'. It's not. It's a 'used' suppressor that likely isn't worth $400 on the open market and it's going to cost something like $500-$600 to transfer it. It's absolutely worthless,....to anyone but you.

The idea of putting a dealer in the middle of an in-state transfer would be no different. Two taxes, two transfers, and all the associated extra costs. People tend to think that dealers get their transfers tax-free, but that's only true when both parties are current licensees. Seller to dealer to buyer is two taxed transfers.

If you keep the sale in-state your pool of potential buyers is smaller(although realistically the pool of potential out-of-state buyers for a personally held used suppressor is already zero), but you do away with one of the transfers, one of the taxes, any associated dealer expenses, and likely any shipping expense. All you have to do is find the one guy who would rather have your 'used' suppressor than have a 'new' and latest generation suppressor with some hope of manufacturer support,......at some negotiated savings. If you can find a guy willing to give you $400 for a used $600 suppressor, congratulations,......you've found an idiot and you've only lost half your 'investment'. You most likely won't get that much.

Same thing with SBRs or SBSs. Only MGs are valued highly enough that it makes sense to consider them to be a transferable asset. That $200 tax you paid plus the one or two $200 taxes due when you transfer them makes them permanent possessions in actuality. Or something you can leave tax-free to an heir. Or something you can give away(if you're willing to pay the tax(es)).

 

[JSJamboree]

How does one legally sell a suppressor? Im looking into buying another one but this one would float between my 9mm handguns and it would have to potential to be sold one day. Anyway, how does selling one work?

I spoke to Parabellum at one point and they said they would do a transfer through them (for a fee) and they would also buy the supressor. I didn't get into how much their charged or how much they would pay but it was an option.