Suppressors On The Menu?

Zion Patriot,

On May 21, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Among its many provisions was a key amendment offered by Representative Michael Cloud. This amendment directly targets the regulatory status of suppressors under federal law.

What the Amendment Does:

  • Amends Section 5845(a) of the Internal Revenue Code to strike suppressors from the definition of a firearm under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
  • Effectively declassifies suppressors as NFA items, removing them from the NFA’s strict regulatory framework.
  • Applies retroactively to transfers made after October 22, 2015.
    • Even though it’s retroactive to that date, there’s no current language requiring the ATF or IRS to reimburse people who paid the $200 tax stamp during that window. It would only mean:
    • Those suppressors would no longer be tracked under the NFA.
    • Owners would no longer be bound by NFA storage/transport rules.

What This Means:

  • No more $200 tax stamp for suppressors.
  • No lengthy wait times or registration through the ATF’s NFA process.
  • Suppressors would be treated like standard firearms and subject only to the Gun Control Act, requiring a Form 4473 and NICS background check at purchase.
  • It would also eliminate the federal authority to retain existing suppressor registration records, potentially prompting their destruction or reclassification as historical (but non-enforceable) data.

The amendment passed as part of H.R. 1 signals a major legislative step in shifting how suppressors are regulated at the federal level—but it’s not law yet.

The Path Forward: Senate and the President’s Signature

  1. Senate Consideration
    • The Senate must now take up H.R. 1, including the Cloud amendment.
    • If passed without changes, it would move directly to the President’s desk.
    • If amended, it would return to the House for reconciliation.
    • The bill’s success in the Senate depends on partisan dynamics and committee priorities.
    • Because H.R. 1 is being advanced under budget reconciliation, it may bypass the 60-vote filibuster threshold in the Senate, subject to the constraints of the Byrd Rule.
  2. Presidential Signature
    • If passed by the Senate, the bill must be signed by the President to become law.
    • The White House has not yet issued a formal position on the suppressor amendment, but gun rights and gun control groups are already lobbying heavily on both sides.
    • The President has indicated he wants this done by July 4, 2025.
  3. Implementation and Enforcement
    • Once signed into law, the ATF would need to adjust policies, forms, and enforcement practices to reflect the removal of suppressors from the NFA.
    • Suppressor owners could see faster, simpler purchases—but state laws would still apply.

International Perspective and the Irony of U.S. Regulation

Interestingly, many gun control advocates in the U.S. frequently point to countries like the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Norway as models for strict firearm regulation. Yet in many of those same countries, suppressors are unregulated or lightly regulated. In places like the UK, suppressors (or “moderators”) are encouraged for hunting and recreational shooting to reduce noise pollution and protect hearing. In New Zealand and several Nordic countries, they are available over-the-counter with no special license required.

This stark contrast highlights the paradox of U.S. policy: while some nations with far stricter overall gun laws treat suppressors as basic safety tools, the United States—a country with robust Second Amendment protections—has long classified them as highly restricted items under the National Firearms Act. The Cloud amendment in H.R. 1 aims to correct that inconsistency by aligning suppressor regulation more closely with both common-sense safety measures and international norms.

But something is still missing…

The inclusion of the Stop Harrassing Owners of Rifles Today (the SHORT act) is noticeably absent. But as the old saying goes, “it ain’t over til the fat lady sings.” If Congress is willing to admit that suppressors don’t belong in the NFA, then let’s not stop halfway. It’s time to finish the job by including short-barreled rifles and shotguns too.

If you agree and want to see Short Barreled Rifles and Short Barreled shotguns also removed from the NFA, please reach out to your senators (every state has 2) and encourage them to add an amendment to include the SHORT Act.

2A News