Suppressor Manufacturers

Suppressor Manufacturers: The Companies Behind Hearing-Safe Shooting

Suppressors reduce the report of a firearm, protecting the hearing of shooters, hunters and bystanders and lowering noise near ranges. In the United States they are regulated under the National Firearms Act, which requires federal registration and a tax stamp, and state laws on owning them and hunting with them have changed considerably in recent years. The companies that design and build suppressors, along with the trade association that represents them, have played a central role in those changes.

Minuteman University.com currently lists 13 suppressor manufacturers and industry groups below, from a short-lived 1970s company to firms founded in the past decade. Each profile covers the company’s founding, location and key people.

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American Suppressor Association: Incorporated September 8, 2011 as the American Silencer Association, the industry trade association founded by Knox Williams.
Gemtech: Founded in 1976 by Phil Dater in Eagle, Idaho, and purchased by Smith & Wesson in July 2017.
AAC: Founded in 1994 by Kevin Brittingham in Lawrenceville, Georgia, and based in Huntsville, Alabama since 2015.
SilencerCo: Founded in 2008 by Joshua Waldron and Jonathon Shults in West Valley City, Utah.
Dead Air: Founded in 2015 by Mike Pappas and based in Kamas, Utah.
Military Armament Corporation: Atlanta company co-founded by Gordon Ingram and Mitchell WerBell, active from 1970 to 1973.