You’ve really got to hand it to anti-gun politicians. Every time you think they’ve hit peak lunacy, they dig a little deeper, wipe the sweat off their brows, and proudly go even more authoritarian. They don’t sleep. They don’t blink. And they sure as hell don’t care if the math—or the Constitution—is on their side.
This week, Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat from Connecticut and long-time anti-gun mouthpiece, decided to outdo himself. He tacked an amendment onto a Republican-backed defense spending bill that proposes raising the NFA tax stamp from $200 to a staggering $4,709 for suppressors and short-barreled rifles. That’s not a typo. That’s not a formatting error. That’s four thousand seven hundred and nine American dollars. All to own a chunk of steel that makes your rifle a little quieter and your ears a little happier.
And the so-called “Any Other Weapon” tax stamp? The one that’s been $5 for nearly a century? Murphy wants to jack that up to $55, because clearly nothing says “public safety” like ten-fold tax hikes on weapons that aren’t even commonly used in crimes.
Now, let’s be crystal clear about what’s happening here: this is political retribution. It’s Murphy throwing a tantrum because Republicans are finally gaining real momentum with H.R.1—the “One Big Beautiful Bill”—which includes a $0 tax stamp provision scheduled to take effect in January 2026. That’s right. The bill would essentially wipe out the pointless $200 NFA fee for suppressors and SBRs, making legal ownership more accessible for everyday Americans instead of just the well-heeled elite or people willing to deal with a year-long wait and a background check that rivals a CIA clearance.
But instead of respecting the legislative process, Murphy’s out here flailing his arms and screaming like a toddler denied dessert. His justification? “If we want to save lives in this country, we have to find a way, come hell or high water, to stop mass legalization of silencers.” Yes, that’s a real quote.
First off, let’s correct the record. Suppressors are not illegal. Never have been. They’ve just been wrapped in government red tape since 1934, buried under paperwork, and slapped with a $200 tax—back when $200 could buy you a used car and a year’s worth of groceries. H.R.1 doesn’t “legalize” suppressors. It simply removes a deliberately placed financial barrier that has punished working-class Americans for almost a century.
Second, suppressors—excuse me, silencers, as the fearmongers love to call them—are not the tools of assassins or spree killers. They’re hearing protection. They’re common-sense accessories used in Europe so people don’t blow out their eardrums at the range. In some countries, they’re encouraged. In others, required. In America? They’re vilified because Hollywood convinced suburban moms they turn your AR-15 into a whispering death wand.
But back to the absurd tax hike. Murphy claims he’s just “adjusting for inflation.” Cute. Let’s do some math. If we took the original $200 NFA stamp from 1934 and ran it through a calculator accounting for inflation, it would be roughly $4,400 today. So sure—$4,709 is technically within that range. But here’s the part Murphy conveniently leaves out: inflation adjustment doesn’t happen when taxes are punitive to begin with.
The $200 tax wasn’t some neutral fee back in 1934. It was an intentional deterrent—a financial wall meant to discourage ownership. It was never about raising revenue. It was about control. Raising it now, under the guise of inflation, is like digging up an old Jim Crow law and saying, “Well, we’re just modernizing it.” Sorry, but that’s not how rights work.
Make no mistake: this isn’t about safety. This isn’t about inflation. This is about disarmament by spreadsheet. If Murphy and his ilk can’t ban the items outright, they’ll just make them unaffordable. They know most folks can’t drop five grand on a suppressor tax stamp, much less the suppressor itself. So they price you out. Quietly. Bureaucratically. And then call it “progress.”
They want a world where only the rich, the politically connected, and the government get to have the tools necessary to defend themselves. Meanwhile, working-class Americans—construction workers, farmers, mechanics, single moms—get stuck paying out the nose just to enjoy the same freedoms the elite take for granted behind their armed security details.
It’s important to understand the bigger picture here. Anti-gun politicians like Murphy aren’t afraid of crime. They’re not scared of suppressors. What they’re terrified of is you. You, the law-abiding gun owner who refuses to kneel. You, the Second Amendment supporter who believes your rights aren’t up for negotiation. You, the voter who’s finally seeing through the decades of fearmongering and realizing that most gun laws aren’t about safety—they’re about submission.
The Second Amendment wasn’t written with inflation clauses. It wasn’t meant to be taxed into irrelevance. It was written so that the average citizen would never be outgunned by their government. It was written so that people like Chris Murphy couldn’t dictate your freedom based on your income.
So, what now? The fight isn’t over. H.R.1 still stands. Republicans are pushing forward. And if we can hold the line, that $0 tax stamp could become a reality. But we need to call out these authoritarian moves every single time they try to sneak them in—especially when they dress them up in fiscal double-speak and crocodile tears about “saving lives.”
Because the only thing this amendment is saving is Murphy’s ego.
And the only thing it’s costing is your rights.
