Are suppressors really a big deal among criminals?

[paramedic70002]

http://www.buffalonews.com/city/comm...icle242821.ece

This guy is a regular criminal but seriously, he made 5 silencers and sold them to an UC LEO? Either he thought he found someone with money to burn or he had a serious supply chain going.

So the question is, is there that much of a market in suppressors among criminals?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[gasmitty]

The Phoenix area is awash with armed criminals, but you never see suppressors in the seized caches of weapons. I tend to think the criminal love affeir with suppressors is a Hollywood myth.

[HotGuns]

I have never seen or heard of one being used by a thug.

They do seem to be getting fairly popular though. The crooks dont want to mess with suppressed firearms because if they are used in the commision of a crime it's another 10 years tacked on the the sentence with fines up to 100,000. Most of them are too lazy to do the required paperwork and most of them couldnt pass the FBI background check anyway.

[luvmy40]

I can't see a common criminal spending the $ on even an illicit suppressor. Is anyone making threaded barrels for High Points? Not to mention how difficult it is to hide a suppressed pistol in your pocket!

I love the part where they feel it's necessary to mention that he had the tools for making suppressors. I'd be willing to bet I have everything needed to make a suppressor in my shop and I am not even a machinist!

[HotGuns]

It doesnt take much really if you have the skills and the creative ability.

[MitchellCT]

On a street level...no.

At that level, things are mostly on opportunity, and suppressors aren't needed. The whole "thinking" thing isn't that popular, and guns are not the core element of the criminal activity, but they sure do help.

Is their a criminal market for suppressors? Sure...

But that's likely more on an gang/group level were planning comes into play on some level.

[DIABLO9489]

.....only in Tonawanda

[archer51]

For the average street thug I don't see a suppressor as a viable tool. makes the gun too bulky for carrying and hiding. For a professional criminal/hit man I can see where one would be a useful tool. Not something I'd be overly worried about.

[fastk9dad]

In the last episode of the "The First 48" the shooter made a makeshift suppressor by taping a plastic 16oz orange juice bottle to his barrel with what looked like electrical tape. It didn't work very well because they found it on the ground and figured it blew off the gun with the first shot, oh and they were able to pull DNA off the bottle (he had to drink the juice first!) to find out the subjects identity. D'oh!

[SpringerXD]

Silencers don't really "silence" a weapon, anyway; they only disguise the sound. In the movies, a silencer makes a really high-tech type of sound, something like you would hear in Star Wars. In the real world, it's more of a loud, metallic "BBBBRRRIIIIINNNNGGG!!!" type of sound, like something you might hear at a construction site or swiping a metal bar across a chain-link fence.
.

[HotGuns]

The ones I have are more of a ppphhhffftt.

[OldVet]

Cost of suppressor + $200 license + whatever else it takes to own it does not equal the 50 cents for a pair of earplugs. Criminals don't need suppressors. Won't fit well in belt or pocket.

My son has one; I'm not impressed. It's not like in the movies (duh). I've done better by wrapping a rag over the end of the barrel.

[ThePeaceKeeper]

The most used suppressed weapon used by thugs is a plain old knife.

[retsupt99]

The ones I have are more of a ppphhhffftt.

Can you say that again?

To the OP...
I doubt most dirtbags are interested in using a suppressor.OMO

[Cornelius]

My son has one; I'm not impressed. It's not like in the movies (duh). I've done better by wrapping a rag over the end of the barrel.

You better have a $200 tax stamp for the "manufacture" of said suppressor! /sarcasm

Seriously though, I cannot figure out how the NFA and GCA manage to survive legal challenges despite being blatant violations of the Constitution. And I'm not just referring to the 2nd Amendment...