I have heard about rubber baffles before but Maxim didn’t seem to used them back in the day. AAC has posted an old Maxim brochure on its blog:
http://www.aacblog.com/?p=542
“As the hole in the Silencer is much larger than the bullet the latter does not touch anything in passing through and consequently accuracy of flight is just the same whether the Silencer is off or on.”

Michigan law says in part;
(1) A person shall not manufacture, sell, offer for sale, or possess any of the following:

(b) A muffler or silencer.

Here is a recent discussion: “You’ll find with careful study of Michigan’s suppressor law that they are not illegal (only non-C&R SBRs and SBSs are). They are covered under the same statute that covers machine guns, section 224 of the Michigan Penal Code, MCL 750.224. Awhile ago AG Mike Cox issued an opinion (Opinion No. 7183) that said under the statute, a tax stamp from the ATF qualified as a “license” to own NFA items under Michigan law. Volia, machine guns are legal if ATF approval is granted.

Now you would think that this would apply to all the other items listed under machine guns in the statute. There is a whole list of things that needs a license to posses that opinion 7183 seems to grant/recognize. It doesn’t. In Cox’s opinion, he edited the wording in the opinion so that it only included machine guns. A logical person would read the opinion, and assume that he was talking about the whole statute, not just the part about machine guns. The ATF disagrees with logic (once again!). Their official opinion is that since Cox did not specifically spell out that silencers were covered in the opinion, they are not permissible by state law. The ATF will not green light applications for items that would be illegal under state law. Under the twisted logic of the ATF, silencers are not legal in Michigan, and thus no Michigan Form 4s for silencers are valid.

Silencers [should be] legal in Michigan with a tax stamp from the ATF. Problem is, the ATF will not issue a tax stamp to a Michigan resident until Cox or his successor writes an opinion exactly the same as 7183, but replacing “machine gun” with “silencer.”

Where we are today: There has been much effort from people on arf.com and migunowners.com (http://www.migunowners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13504) to try to get Cox to issue an opinion on this. He caught a lot of flack for the machine gun opinion. He is running for governor to replace Jenny-o, and methinks that the Freep and Detroit News would love to print opinions saying Mike Cox is arming assassins and gangbangers with silencers and machine guns.

The good news is that if elected governor, he is fairly pro-2a. But I think we will not see an opinion out of him on this issue before the election. So if you want a silencer, pay attention in 2010 to who is running for governor and almost more importantly, who is running for AG

I noticed Michigan was on the “no suppressor” list. It is legal to own a silencer in Michigan. You must purchase the tax stamp. However, you can not hunt with it. As soon as I have the money I will be getting one.

Short answer: yes, they are legal for hunting in some states. In some states, they are legal for big game hunting; in other only “non-game” animals; in others not at all.

-z

“With the exception of the armed forces, government law enforcement agencies or penal institutions acting in the performance of their official duties, it is ILLEGAL in the state of Missouri for an individual to possess, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell a firearm silencer UNLESS such person is an importer, manufacturer, dealer, or collector licensed by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to the Gun Control Act of 1968, U.S.C., Title 18, or unless such firearm is an antique firearm as defined in subsection 3 of section 571.080 (this is referring to a section of the Revised Missouri Statutes…I will provide a link at the bottom of the comment), or unless such firearm has been designated a collectors item by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to the U.S.C., Title 26, Section 5845(a)(8).

In respect to the second exception listed and in accordance with Missouri and federal law, a firearm silencer is ONLY defined as an antique firearm WHEN IT IS PURSUANT to U.S.C., Title 26, Section 5845(a)(8).

Outside of the aforementioned exceptions, knowingly possessing, manufacturing, transporting, repairing, or selling a firearm silencer in the state of Missouri is a class C Felony at the state level, with a prison term not to exceed seven years.

The same violation is also a federal felony (18 USC § 922(k), (o) & (v); 26 USC § 5861.). The statutory maximum sentence is 10 years, although the recommended sentence range under federal sentencing guidelines is 27 to 71 months. One of the harshest penalties in the federal system is a 30-year mandatory minimum sentence for possession of a firearm silencer during a “crime of violence” or drug trafficking.

For your own reference, I’ve included the following: The Official Revised Missorui Statutes related to Weapons Offenses and the section of United States Code (courtesy of The Cornell University Law School) that are referenced earlier in the post…”

http://www.moga.mo.gov/STATUTES/C571.HTM
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/26/usc_sec_26_00005845—-000-.html