Kansas AG Kobach Shares Suppressor Purchase Guidance

Sign of the times . . . The top lawman in Kansas offers important advice about how to keep it legal when purchasing artillery . . . Check-it: 

Kobach offers guidance to Kansans seeking to purchase suppressors, short-barreled shotguns 

TOPEKA – (August 24, 2026) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach today issued guidance to Kansans seeking to purchase suppressors or short-barreled shotguns in the wake of a recent federal court decision.

On August 5, Kobach and a coalition of 14 other states and a group of private associations and businesses prevailed in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). In a landmark victory, the court issued a preliminary injunction declaring that certain elements of the National Firearms Act are unconstitutional and prohibiting the ATF from imposing registration requirements on particular purchasers of suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns.

Individuals who fall into the categories below no longer need to complete ATF Form 4 or wait for ATF approval before purchasing a suppressor, short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun. These items may now be obtained by completing ATF Form 4473, the same form required for the purchase of all other firearms, at the time of purchase.

"The state of Kansas and our fellow plaintiffs won a great victory against the U.S. Department of Justice, which had been wrongly defending an unconstitutional law," Kobach said. "The federal government has no right to demand that American citizens ask for permission before putting an accessory on a firearm to protect their hearing. Our Constitution provides for a government of limited powers at the federal level. We must always be vigilant to enforce those constitutional limits, especially when government threatens the right of Americans to keep and bear arms."

In order to make a purchase without NFA registration, a person need only be in one of these categories:

- Current or future members of Gun Owners of America
- Customers purchasing a suppressor, short-barreled rifle or short barreled shotgun from one of the following businesses:

a) Silencer Shop

b) Palmetto State Armory, LLC

c) B&T USA, LLC

d) SilencerCo Weapons Research, LLC

e) A company that is a member of the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition

At this time, it is unclear whether all residents of Kansas are included under the court's ruling. However, the federal court may soon clarify this question. In the meantime, an individual can become a member of Gun Owners of America and qualify as a person covered by the federal court's injunction.

The case is the latest in which Kansas has led a multi-state coaltion to defend the right of Americans to acquire and own firearms. In December 2025, Kobach led 21 states in urging another federal district court to find federal regulations of untaxed firearms to be unconstitutional. 
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