Silencer Shop is one of the most prominent names in the NFA world within the firearms industry. They rose to fame by simplifying the NFA process through their innovative self-service kiosk-based, e-forms-compatible system. Their Silencer Shop Kiosks, found in most NFA-dealing gun stores across the country, revolutionized the silencer market in 2016. By replacing the lengthy, time-consuming paper forms of the past, Silencer Shop cemented its position as one of the largest NFA distributors in the world.
Griffin Armament’s relationship with Silencer Shop began approximately 13 years ago and has been a part of Griffin Armament’s growth and market presence since. Via Silencer Shop’s extensive network, Griffin and many other brand silencers are now available at over 6,000 Powered By Silencer Shop dealers.
Griffin recently had the pleasure of welcoming Dave Matheny, the owner of Silencer Shop, on his first-ever visit to our headquarters in Watertown, Wisconsin. Dave toured Griffin’s newly expanded facility, which was recently completed in 2024. This 40,000-square-foot expansion to our existing 21,000-square-foot facility has significantly increased our manufacturing capacity and enabled the dedication of specific areas to advanced processes like additive manufacturing (3D printing).
On the first day, Dave and members of the Griffin team, including the partners at Griffin, spent time catching up and sharing stories. They enjoyed a round of golf at a local course, followed by dinner at Lago Su Bella, one of the nicer restaurants on the lake in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.
The following day, Dave received an orientation to some newer Griffin products on the indoor R&D range, following a visit to the Vault, where Griffin houses an extensive collection of historical and modern firearms, spanning from World War I to the present time. The history contained in this room is definitely one of the more memorable elements of the visit of distinguished guests.
On the Griffin indoor testing range, Dave had the chance to fire some unreleased products and one of the historical firearms—an integrally suppressed L34A1 Sterling, which Dave enjoyed. Dave also became the first non-employee to experience our new Revolution Mod 4 pistol cans—stay tuned for updates on those!
We wrapped up the range session by introducing Dave to our MK2 rifles. Dave experienced their soft recoil and seamless pairing with our Recce 5K and Explorr® suppressors.
The visit concluded with a lively recording of our Dwell Time Podcast. Dave, Evan, and Austin sat down to share stories of our companies’ shared history, discuss the current state of the suppressor industry, and recount entertaining anecdotes. One unforgettable story came from Dave, involving a black bear, an inexperienced hunter, and a missing big toe. We won’t spoil it, you’ll have to hear it for yourself. Click Here to watch the video podcast! Or listen on all platforms!
Before parting, they enjoyed a round of sporting clays at Milford Hills and discussed the future of our industry, including potential major developments like the Hearing Protection Act — which aims to remove suppressors from NFA regulations — and the possible elimination of the $200 tax stamp. Either of these changes would bring transformative progress to the suppressor market.
Both of our companies have supported the organizations working toward full deregulation and remain committed to making suppressors easier and more accessible for responsible gun owners. We’ll continue advocating for a future where law-abiding Americans don’t need to jump through federal hoops to protect their hearing.
With so much positive momentum, we at Griffin Armament and our partners at Silencer Shop are optimistic about the future. Our partnership, rooted in nearly a decade and a half of collaboration, remains strong, and we look forward to continued growth together.
A special thanks to Dave Matheny for visiting us in Wisconsin. We hope you enjoyed your stay, and we’re excited to keep working together for years to come!
About the Author:
Benjamin Kubek is the Media and Marketing Manager at Griffin Armament.