During President Trump’s first term, the Hearing Protection Act’s passage looked like a real possibility. The concept of being able to buy suppressors with a simple NICS check was glorious. Sure, there was opposition–most of it based on movie suppressors and not what they’re really like–but there’s opposition to just about everything.
Unfortunately, the shooting at the Route 91 Music Festival kind of killed any momentum the bill had. That was just one of a couple of key setbacks that kept suppressors on the NFA list.
Now, though, it seems the Hearing Protection Act is back and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is here for it.
From a press release from the organization:
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms applauds Congressman Ben Cline (R-Virginia) for introducing H.R. 404, the Hearing Protection Act, and is encouraging the nation’s gun owners to support this timely legislation.
The Hearing Protection Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to remove suppressors from the definition of firearms, according to the bill, and from regulation under the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA).
“Similar legislation has been proposed in the past,” noted CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “and it is time for this important measure to become law. For generations, untold millions of Americans enjoying their constitutionally-protected right to own and use firearms for recreation, competition, personal protection training and other endeavors have often risked their sense of hearing, even when using ear plugs or other protective devices.
“Suppressors work like mufflers on automobiles,” he continued. “They greatly reduce the noise generated by muzzle blasts. They are used in many states by hunters, shooters utilizing indoor gun ranges and outdoor ranges in suburban environments and many other people. They’re not designed to completely silence a firearm for illegitimate purposes, but instead to provide one more important level of hearing protection.”
Currently, to legally own a suppressor, a person must pass an extensive background check conducted by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, pay $200 for a tax stamp and register the device with the ATF.
“Suppressors are essentially hearing safety accessories,” Gottlieb observed, “and they are legal to own in many states. Instead of discouraging their ownership with restrictive regulations and a fee, the should be readily available without onerous requirements. We’re encouraging our members and supporters, and gun owners in general, to support Rep. Cline’s H.R. 404.”
With this bill now out there for discussion, we’re going to have to combat a lot of misinformation.
See, as noted previously, a lot of people are only exposed to suppressors via movies and television. There, the suppressor is whisper quiet. You can kill a guy in a crowded room and have no one realize a gunshot has even happened.
I won’t say there’s no way to get that level of quiet with a suppressor, it’s kind of hard to do that with something that’s also an effective round against a living target.
That won’t stop people from pretending otherwise.
I suspect we’ll also hear about the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder, where the killer apparently used a homemade suppressor.
However, let’s also point out that despite suppressors being among the most tightly controlled firearms accessories in the country, this turdnugget was still able to get his hands on one.
That means the laws aren’t really as effective as some have tried to claim, which means we need to take a step back at least and stop pretending the NFA is sacrosanct and should never be modified.
If bad guys can get machine guns and suppressors, then maybe it’s time to make sure we good guys can get them, too.
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