What could happen if Donald Trump decides to lift an almost 100-year-old law which has left people in total shock

Donald Trump is wanting to make changes to a decades-old gun law that dates back to the Prohibition-era.

In 1935, The US National Firearms Act (NFA) was brought in, which saw the sale and use of gun suppressors – sometimes referred to as silencers – restricted.

As per the American Suppressor Association (ASA), the law states that you must be 21 or over to buy a suppressor from a dealer; be at least 18 to buy one from an individual; be legally eligible to own a firearm; and pay a one-time $200 Transfer Tax Fee.

In addition to this, a person must reside in one of the 42 states that allows suppressors. As it stands, the likes of California, Illinois, Hawaii, and New York have blanket bans on the firearm device.

But Trump wants to change all this – despite the fact he nearly lost his life to gun violence in July 2024 when gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks fired at him during a Pennsylvania rally.

Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order calling on newly-appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review America's gun policies.

The order, signed February 7, stated: "Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to end the federal government’s violation of Americans’ fundamental Second Amendment right to protect themselves, their families, and their freedoms."

The use of suppressors in the US are restricted under current law (Getty Stock)

It's believed that Trump wants to end the ban on silencers completely – something that firearm owners in the US have long called for.

It largely comes down to the fact that suppressors protect the gun-holder's hearing.

ASA's website says: "Suppressors, also known as silencers, are the hearing protection of the 21st century sportsman. Despite common misconceptions, suppressors are not silent.

"They are simply mufflers for firearms, which function by trapping the expanding gasses at the muzzle and allowing them to slowly cool."

Knox Williams, President & Executive Director of ASA, has applauded Trump's proposed plans.

"On behalf of millions of law-abiding gun owners, we'd like to thank President Trump for his fearless leadership to protect our Second Amendment rights," he said in a statement.

President Trump wants to make it easier for people to use silencers (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

As well as protecting a person's hearing, gun activists say that silencers restrict noise complaints and reduces recoil, thus improving gunshot accuracy.

Regarding accuracy, the likes ASA argues that it makes hunting 'more humane' as it enables a hunter to helps with 'better shot placement'.

During his first term in 2020, he'd previously lifted a 20-year ban on sales of suppressors to foreign buyers, arguing it was to grant US companies 'the same opportunity to compete in the international marketplace', The Independent reported.

Should the Trump's suggested changes come into fruition, it'll make it a lot easier for firearm owners to purchase a silencer.

To buy one, someone would simply have to show their identification and fill in a background check form, Mail Online reports.

The background check takes just a few minutes, in comparison to the current BATFE background check, where people have to go through which can take anywhere between one to 100 days, says SilencerShop.