US announces military-to-commercial regulatory changes for firearm suppressors, silencers, mufflers

Under the changes, the State Department has confirmed that silencers, mufflers and suppressors for non-fully automatic firearms are no longer considered to provide a critical military or intelligence advantage.

In addition, the devices, the department asserts, have a growing global adoption for civilian use, benefits of reduced firearms noise and have numerous foreign manufacturers.

The changes are reportedly intended to reduce regulatory burdens and boost global competitiveness while maintaining US government export controls; and are scheduled to take effect from November 20 this year.

“In support of the President’s Executive Order of April 9, 2025, on Reforming Foreign Defense Sales to improve speed and accountability, the Department of State (the Department) issues this interim final rule removing firearm silencers, mufflers, and sound suppressors for non-automatic and semi-automatic firearms from the U.S. Munitions List,” according to the official documents.

“The Department has determined that silencers, mufflers, and sound suppressors for non-automatic and semi-automatic firearms, which are currently described in USML Category I(e), no longer provide a critical military or intelligence advantage.

“Accordingly, the Department is removing these items from the USML and making conforming changes.

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“Competitive sport shooting organizations include disciplines for target shooting with suppressed rifles, and sound suppressors have recently been endorsed by at least one related non-profit medical organization as “an effective method of reducing the risk of hearing loss” related to firearm usage.

“That endorsement was based on a 2011 study by the Centers for Disease Control, which identified sound suppressors as “[t]he only potentially effective noise control method to reduce noise exposure from gunfire.

“The Department continues to assess that silencers, mufflers, and sound suppressors specially designed for fully automatic firearms provide a critical military or intelligence advantage. Such items have design properties that enable them to enhance the utility of fully automatic firearms, e.g., increased heat dissipation to handle multiple rounds) and, given the inherent military nature of those weapons, have limited non-military use cases. Consequently, the Department is retaining those items on the USML.”

For industry, the changes could mean that US suppressor manufacturers are able to better compete globally without strenuous national security restrictions, ITAR compliance programs and export licensing.

Robert Dougherty

Robert is a senior journalist who has previously worked for Seven West Media in Western Australia, as well as Fairfax Media and Australian Community Media in New South Wales. He has produced national headlines, photography and videography of emergency services, business, community, defence and government news across Australia. Robert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Public Relations and Journalism at Curtin University, attended student exchange program with Fudan University and holds Tier 1 General Advice certification for Kaplan Professional. Reach out via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via LinkedIn.