Bait, You are correct about the function of the flash supressor.

Val, You made comment about going out and buying a machine gun (I know in jest). But I do not think there is any federal prohibition about an individual (law-abiding) citizen purchasing one. However, state laws now come into play. Even if you pass the 6 months+ scrutiny and are willing to pay a $200 tax and a couple thousand dollars for the firearm, the state laws may still prohibit you from buying one. For instance, VA allows its residents to lawfully own fully automatic weapons, New Jersey says absolutely not. I do not know about CT laws. You can check them out at any gun store.