80: Breaking Barriers: The Evolution and Explosion of Suppressor Sales | No Lowballers

In this week’s episode of the No Lowballers podcast, host Logan Metesh of High Caliber History  and Allen Forkner of GunBroker welcome Brandon Maddox, CEO of Silencer Central, to discuss the transformative journey of suppressor ownership over the past two decades. Brandon shares an in-depth look at the challenges and milestones of the National Firearms Act (NFA) compliance, the impact of regulatory changes on suppressor acquisition, and how simplifying the purchasing process has led to increased accessibility and popularity of suppressors.

Featured Guest: Matthew Moss, Defense Journalist, Historian, and host of the Armourers Bench YouTube channel.

Show Topics:

• Introduction to Brandon Maddox and Silencer Central (00:08)
  • Matthew’s background in defense journalism and his focus on the evolution of military technologies.
• Challenges of the Early Days and Simplifying the NFA Process (01:05)
  • Brandon discusses the initial hurdles in suppressor sales, misconceptions about legality, and the intricate NFA paperwork process.
• Innovations in Customer Service and Compliance (03:36)
  • Insights into improving the customer experience and ensuring compliance through meticulous attention to ATF regulations.
• Direct to Consumer Sales and the Impact of COVID-19 (14:59)
  • How Silencer Central adapted to direct-to-consumer sales during the pandemic, and the strategies used to reassure and educate customers on the legality and ease of suppressor ownership.
• ATF E-Forms and Enhancing the Approval Process (19:57)
  • Brandon elaborates on the history and recent improvements in ATF’s e-forms system that have significantly reduced wait times for suppressor approvals.
• Future of Suppressor Use and Legislative Outlook (33:45)
  • Insights on how current warfare strategies in Ukraine compare to past conflicts.
    

Links:

If you’re intrigued by the world of suppressors and want to dive deeper, don’t forget to subscribe to the No Lowballers podcast for more episodes like this. Share this episode with friends and fellow enthusiasts who might benefit from Brandon’s expert insights on navigating the complexities of suppressor ownership. Be sure to like and subscribe to the No Lowballers podcast, which drops every Thursday and can be found everywhere you consume your favorite podcasts.

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Hear the truth behind the trigger on this show that highlights the insanity, calamity and oddity of firearm history, collectibles and the crazy valuables. Every week historian Logan Metesh of High Caliber History joins the GunBroker team to discuss topics such as mobster favorites, collector pieces, war-time weapons, hunting gun history, competition firearms and more.