For the first time since the National Firearms Act (NFA) was created in 1934, civilians can enjoy suppressed shooting in all 50 states with SilencerCo’s latest innovation: the integrally suppressed Maxim 50 muzzleloader. In addition, this product can be purchased right now on the web with no regulation (no 4473, no tax stamp, no photographs or fingerprints) at store.silencerco.com and be shipped immediately to the purchaser with few exceptions*.
Residents in the 42 states that allow civilian ownership of silencers have to pay a $200 tax, fill out forms, send in photos, submit to fingerprinting, and wait months for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to review their forms and check their backgrounds—just to acquire an inherently-harmless product. With all the hoops to jump through, it’s no surprise that many Americans have difficulty committing the time or money it takes to save their hearing. Citizens may have had their Second Amendment rights suppressed, but innovation cannot be silenced.
With the invention of the Maxim 50, SilencerCo has created a product that is 100% legal for civilian ownership in all 50 states while providing hearing-saving suppression at a reasonable price point. How is this possible? By paying very close attention to the law.
The BATFE defines a silencer as a “device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm . . .” By that definition, a silencer is only a silencer if it can attach to a firearm. The Maxim 50 is built on the base of a Traditions™ Vortek Strikerfire Muzzleloader. For those who know muzzleloaders, you’ll also know that they are not considered firearms by the BATFE but are instead antique firearms, a definition and difference that is very distinct. Because of this, a moderator that is permanently affixed to a muzzleloader is not legally defined as a silencer, since it does not attach to a firearm. With this realization, the Maxim 50 was born.
“It took a lot of creativity to arrive at this solution,” said Josh Waldron, SilencerCo CEO and Co-Founder. “We have been working on this product for three years, with most of that time spent waiting on a determination from the Technology Branch of the BATFE as to how this product would be classified. As soon as we received official word that it wouldn’t be considered or regulated as a silencer, we got to work on bringing the Maxim 50 to customers across the country.”
SilencerCo expects the Maxim 50 to be a hit not only with the NFA-loving crowd, but also with hobbyists and hunters. In many states, muzzleloader hunting begins days (sometimes weeks) before standard rifle season, giving hunters using this platform an edge. But this edge does come with caveats – antique firearms are usually loud, have lots of recoil, and the shooter has to battle the thick cloud of black powder smoke billowing from the barrel as they try to see if their shot connected with their game. The Maxim 50 solves all of the issues experienced by muzzleloader shooters while also drastically reducing the resulting smoke by more than two-thirds, allowing hunters to see the location of their shot and track their game.
SilencerCo is honored to finally be able to bring suppressed shooting to its customers across the country, especially in states such as California, Illinois, and New York, where civilian ownership of silencers is not currently allowed.
To see more on the Maxim 50 visit
* Visit SilencerCo’s website for a complete list of shipping restrictions.
About SilencerCo:
SilencerCo started life when two men in a garage machined, welded, and shaped their dreams into reality. They had one core belief: Guns don’t have to be loud. Now in our ninth year of existence, SilencerCo makes more silencers than anyone else and continues to create the most revolutionary products to hit the market, most recently with the releases of the integrally suppressed Maxim 9 and Maxim 50. We set the bar high for quality and innovation because in the end, that’s all that matters.
