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Originally Posted by RAnb
Silencers are legal in all states, but 12 states limit possession and use to the military, police and licensed dealers.
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That's kind of a strange statement. "Legal" but restricted to military, police and licensed dealers is pretty well defined as ILLEGAL to anyone except maybe lawyers.
NY Law:
§ 265.00 Definitions.
As used in this article and in article four hundred, the following
terms shall mean and include:
1. "Machine-gun" means a weapon of any description, irrespective of
size, by whatever name known, loaded or unloaded, from which a number of
shots or bullets may be rapidly or automatically discharged from a
magazine with one continuous pull of the trigger and includes a
sub-machine gun.
2. "Firearm silencer" means any instrument, attachment, weapon or
appliance for causing the firing of any gun, revolver, pistol or other
firearms to be silent, or intended to lessen or muffle the noise of the
firing of any gun, revolver, pistol or other firearms.
§ 265.02 Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree.
A person is guilty of criminal possession of a weapon in the third
degree when:
(1) Such person commits the crime of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree as defined in subdivision one, two, three or five of section 265.01, and has been previously convicted of any crime; or
(2) Such person possesses any explosive or incendiary bomb, bombshell,
firearm silencer, machine-gun or any other firearm or weapon simulating a machine-gun and which is adaptable for such use;
While they may be legal for law enforcement (and more recently for manufacture), the EXCEPTION is the legality. In the other words, they're not "legal except for", they're "ILLEGAL except for..."