Sound Moderators, Silencers or Suppressors? Whatever You Call Them, We're Finally Posting Them.

For what is, at the end of the day, a metal tube that makes things quieter, sound moderators certainly generate an impressive amount of confusion.

Whatever you call them, Silencers, Suppressors, Moderators... they all do broadly the same job, and over the last few years, they have probably been responsible for more customer emails than almost anything else we've sold.

"Why won't you post one?" "Everyone else does." "You're the only shop that won't."

As it turns out... we weren't just being awkward.

Why We Didn't Post Moderators

Long before the Crime & Policing Act 2026 was announced, we contacted Nottinghamshire Police's Firearms Licensing Team to ask a simple question.

Can we legally post an airgun moderator directly to a customer?

The response we received at the time was crystal clear.

"There have been no changes to the legislation relating to sound moderators... Moderators should not be posted and should be transferred through an RFD."

That guidance came directly from the Firearms Licensing Team.

So that's exactly what we did.

Even as more retailers appeared to be posting moderators directly, we stuck with the advice we'd been given. It wasn't the cheapest option, and it certainly wasn't the most popular with customers, but we'd rather annoy a few people than accidentally annoy the Firearms Acts.

Then the Crime & Policing Act 2026 Arrived...

When the Crime & Policing Act 2026 was published, everyone in the industry started reading Section 44 to work out what had actually changed.

The headline change was the removal of sound moderators from the definition of a firearm under the Firearms Act 1968. Instead, the Act introduced a new Section 2A:

"Possession of a sound moderator or flash suppressor (1) Subject to any exemption under this Act, it is an offence for a person to have in their possession a relevant accessory unless the person holds a firearm certificate or a shotgun certificate. (2) "Relevant accessory" means an accessory to a firearm to which Section 1 applies which is designed or adapted to diminish the noise or flash caused by firing the firearm."

On first reading, that doesn't actually say anything about retailers posting moderators.

If anything, it initially looks like the opposite.

The wording talks about possession of moderators intended for Section 1 firearms, not the sale or delivery of airgun moderators for sub-12 ft/lb rifles. That was exactly our problem.

We're retailers, not barristers, and firearms legislation has never exactly been famous for reading like an IKEA instruction manual. It often relies on definitions elsewhere in the Firearms Acts and is deliberately broad enough that interpretation ultimately rests with the courts.

To add to the confusion, organisations such as BASC "welcomed the reforms" because they remove sound moderators from being treated as firearms in their own right. However, the legislation itself doesn't contain a nice, reassuring sentence saying "retailers may now post airgun moderators directly to customers."

That's why we didn't simply assume. We went back to Nottinghamshire Police and asked the question again.

So We Asked Again

Rather than guessing, we went back to Nottinghamshire Police.

This time, our enquiry was answered by Inspector Georgie Newton, a senior officer within Nottinghamshire Police with responsibility for the Firearms Licensing Team.

Her response was significantly different.

"The legal position regarding sound moderators has changed very recently. Moderators are no longer subject to firearm certificate controls and no longer require authority on, or recording against, a firearm certificate."

She continued:

"Accordingly, there is currently no firearms licensing restriction preventing the direct sale and postal delivery of a sound moderator, including those intended for use with sub-12 ft/lb air weapons. There is also no firearms licensing requirement for a moderator to be transferred through a Registered Firearms Dealer solely because it is a moderator."

Importantly, Inspector Newton also added:

"We are aware that some practical questions arising from the recent changes remain the subject of national discussion and further clarification has been sought from the Home Office."

And finally:

"This advice relates solely to firearms licensing legislation and should not be taken as advice regarding consumer law, trading standards requirements, postal or courier regulations, or any other legislation that may apply to the sale or delivery of goods."

What Does That Mean?

To us, that's about as clear an answer as we're likely to receive today.

Nottinghamshire Police are effectively saying that, from a firearms licensing perspective, there is currently nothing preventing moderators from being sold and posted directly to customers.

They are, quite rightly, also reminding businesses that other laws still exist. Courier policies, age verification, consumer legislation and trading standards don't suddenly disappear just because firearms licensing has changed.

They're also sensibly acknowledging that national guidance is still evolving.

So What's Changing at Vector Air?

We're taking the guidance we've been given and running with it. From now on, compatible airgun moderators will be available for direct postal delivery.

They will be treated much like ammunition is for online sales:

• 18+ purchase.

• Age verification required.

• Direct delivery to the purchaser.

That means no more mandatory RFD transfer simply because the item is a moderator.

Please note that some older information may show the previous policy as we work to get things changed.

Could This Change Again?

Absolutely.

If the Home Office, the Crown Prosecution Service or future guidance results in a different national interpretation, we'll adapt.

We're not trying to be doom and gloom, and we're certainly not trying to pick a fight with the establishment, although regular readers know we occasionally enjoy poking it with a stick.

The reality is that this area of law is still settling down. As more retailers begin posting moderators, it's entirely possible that further clarification or guidance will follow.

If it does, we'll tell you.

That's exactly what we've done throughout this process.

We'd Rather Be Right Than First

It would have been easy to ignore the original police guidance and simply follow what everyone else appeared to be doing.

Instead, we asked. We waited. We asked again when the law changed.

Now that we've received updated guidance from Nottinghamshire Police, we're happy to change our policy accordingly.

Sometimes doing things properly takes a little longer.

But we'd much rather explain why than explain ourselves in court.

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