Tens of thousands of shooters in NSW can now apply for silencers on their weapons after the NSW government opened permit application forms to hunters and sporting shooters, a move gun control advocates have condemned as dangerous.

The Shooters and Fishers Party says it has successfully lobbied the NSW government to expand the reasons which shooters can cite on a form when seeking a permit to use a silencer.

Seeking silencers for use in "sport" shooting or recreational hunting has been added to the form. Previously there was only space for government employees or licensed contract animal shooters to apply.

There are about 200,000 gun licence holders in NSW. The NSW chapter of the Sporting Shooters Association claims 50,000 members.