SilencerCo Releases First Suppressed Muzzleloader

by
posted on September 19, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
silencerco_muzzle.jpg

For the first time since the National Firearms Act (NFA) was created in 1934, civilians can enjoy suppressed shooting in nearly all 50 states with SilencerCo's latest innovation: the integrally suppressed Maxim 50 muzzleloader.

With the invention of the Maxim 50, SilencerCo has created a product that is 100 percent legal for civilian ownership under federal law (some state laws may not allow it, though, depending on how they define muzzleloaders) while providing hearing-saving suppression at a reasonable price point. How is this possible? By paying very close attention to federal law. 

The BATFE defines a silencer as a “device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm . . .”  By that definition, a silencer is only a silencer if it can attach to a firearm. The Maxim 50 is built on the base of a Traditions Vortek Strikerfire Muzzleloader. For those who know muzzleloaders, you’ll also know that they are not considered firearms by the BATFE but are instead antique firearms, a definition and difference that is very distinct under federal law. Because of this, a moderator that is permanently affixed to a muzzleloader is not legally defined by BATF as a silencer, since it does not attach to a firearm. With this realization, the Maxim 50 was born. 

“It took a lot of creativity to arrive at this solution,” said Josh Waldron, SilencerCo CEO and Co-Founder. “We have been working on this product for three years, with most of that time spent waiting on a determination from the Technology Branch of the BATFE as to how this product would be classified. As soon as we received official word that it wouldn’t be considered or regulated as a silencer, we got to work on bringing the Maxim 50 to customers across the country.” 

SilencerCo expects the Maxim 50 to be a hit not only with the NFA-loving crowd, but also with hobbyists and hunters. In many states, muzzleloader hunting begins days (sometimes weeks) before standard rifle season, giving hunters using this platform an edge. But this edge does come with caveats—antique firearms are usually loud, have lots of recoil, and the shooter has to battle the thick cloud of black powder smoke billowing from the barrel as they try to see if their shot connected with their game. The Maxim 50 solves all of the issues experienced by muzzleloader shooters while also drastically reducing the resulting smoke by more than two-thirds, allowing hunters to see the location of their shot and track their game. 


SilencerCo is honored to finally be able to bring suppressed shooting to its customers across the country, and, in most places, sans a long wait or a tax stamp.

For more information visit silencerco.com

Latest

Savage Stance XR
Savage Stance XR

Review: Savage Stance XR

Savage Arms reworked its Stance pistol in 2025 to incorporate desirable features not available in the first iteration, resulting in the new Stance XR.

Preview: Die Free Kung Fu Grip

A replacement pistol grip for AR-10/15-pattern rifles, the Kung Fu Grip from Die Free Co. utilizes a reduced (12 degree) grip angle that makes shooting a gun with a short length of pull much more comfortable on the wrist—making it an ideal choice for practitioners of modern, squared-up shooting stances.

The Elusive Finnish Mausers

In the 1920s, the Finnish Shooting Sport Federation sought to replace the military’s venerable Mosin-Nagant. Its attempts to introduce Mauser target rifles as service rifles were eventually thwarted in the 1930s by design limitations and budgets.

The Armed Citizen® Dec. 22, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Rifleman Q&A: Point Of Hold

Q: I have always been a rifle and handgun shooter, with little shotgun experience, and I am a little confused about the “point of hold” shown in the pattern illustrations of our magazine.

Preview: MTM Case-Gard Suppressor Protector Case

Secure, rugged and inexpensive, the Suppressor Protector Case by MTM Case-Gard is a convenient way to transport or store as many as three (cooled) silencers up to 10" in length.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.