A History of American Silencers

By Ian McCollum with Kevin Brittingham

Hiram Percy Maxim invented what he called a 'silencer' for firearms in 1909. This device soon became widely popular, making shooting more comfortable and enjoyable, while also less disruptive to the surrounding environment. With the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934, the silencer became tightly regulated and restricted, and its development was curtailed for many years as a result. U.S. military interest in covert operations drove limited experimentation with silencers during the Second World War, but it would not be until the Vietnam War that the design of silencers was again the subject of significant research. By that time, the work of Maxim had been largely lost, and the design principles applied in the 1960s and 1970s had deteriorated from the original to such an extent that performance was typically worse than that offered by the original Maxim Silencer designs. Over the following decades of the Cold War, growing military interest would slowly push technological development forward, and their use by special operations forces became commonplace. Today, silencers have found widespread civilian and law enforcement acceptance alongside their military use in the Global War on Terror.

In this book, authors Ian McCollum and Kevin Brittingham will explore the history of silencer design and development in the United States. Major sections will include:

• The original Maxim Silencers

• OSS silencers of the Second World War

• SIONICS, Military Armament Corporation, and silencers in the Vietnam War

• Widespread adoption of silencers by special forces during the Cold War

• Silencers in military service during the Global War on Terror (2001 to present day)

• The growth of civilian silencer ownership in the 21st century

The work will be beautifully illustrated throughout, featuring period images and original work from Headstamp Creative Director and renowned firearms photographer, James Rupley. Full-colour, world-class photo illustrations will showcase the evolution of a wide array of silencer designs (including sectioned examples); integrally silenced firearms; and a variety of tools, accessories, and period marketing material.

Mr. McCollum is the founder of Forgotten Weapons and author of Chassepot to FAMAS: French Military Rifles, 1866 – 2016; Pistols of the Warlords; and Small Arms of WWII: USA. Mr. Brittingham is best known for founding Advanced Armament Corporation and Q LLC, companies that have each made significant advancements in silencer and small arms technology and have played a major role establishing the widespread adoption of silencers by both military and civilian users. Mr. Brittingham is a passionate collector of silencers and has devoted his entire adult life to learning the history of the topic and developing more efficient and effective designs for the future.

Headstamp is excited to be publishing this history of an oft-underappreciated and overlooked subject in the history of firearms technology. Please stand by for an updated production date.