Why Caliber Matters When Choosing a Suppressor Suppressors have never been more popular with American shooters. They reduce the report of a firearm, cut down on muzzle blast, and make range days and hunting trips easier on the ears. But not every cartridge pairs equally well with a suppressor. Case capacity, bullet weight, velocity, and gas volume all affect how a suppressed firearm sounds and feels. If you are shopping for a suppressor, the cartridge you choose will shape your experience as m …

For nearly a century, anyone who wanted to legally own a suppressor faced the same obstacle: a $200 federal tax stamp, a holdover from Prohibition-era gun control that hadn't budged a dollar since 1934. That changed on July 4, 2025, when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law, reducing the National Firearms Act (NFA) transfer tax on suppressors — along with short-barreled rifles (SBRs), short-barreled shotguns (SBSs), and "Any Other Weapons" (AOWs) — from $200 to …