NRA Wants to Ease Laws on Buying Gun Silencers

[question everything]

The National Rifle Association, which typically rests its case on the Second Amendment and personal security, is framing legislation that would make it easier to buy gun silencers as a public health issue.

The NRA’s campaign includes rebranding silencers as “suppressors” because they don’t completely silence the sound of gunfire. Silencers reduce the average firearm noise from 165 decibels to below the potentially dangerous level of 140 decibels.

“The Hearing Protection Act” is the gun lobby’s priority in Congress, along with a bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons across state lines if they have permits in their home state.

More..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/nra-wants-to-ease-laws-on-buying-gun-silencers-1495582743

[msongs]

1. so does the NRA allow open carry/concealed carry at its conventions? nt

[hack89]

6. Depends on local laws

sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

[mikehiggins]

2. Well, they are correct

As far as I know there is no such thing as a "silencer" the way the tv and movie educated public thinks of it. All the device does is lower the decibel count of fired cartridge.

This is just another attempt to weaken laws protecting people's lives disguised as protecting their hearing. The NRA gives prostitutes (and GOPukes) a bad name.

[krispos42]

4. How does this save lives?

Keeping in mind a silencer adds about 6 inches to a handgun, making them much harder to conceal.

[Paladin]

7. But they LOOK really badass, which is what counts, right?

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

8. Maybe we should ban "badass"

You think?

[sarisataka]

10. So bans ARE based on looks...

I always suspected as much

[Paladin]

12. Gun PURCHASES are based on looks. More so now than ever.

But you knew that already, didn't you?

[sarisataka]

14. I don't know that

Every gun I have bought was for a specific purpose. Even those I know who have made a purchase of asthetics, such as the decoration on a trap gun, were still driven by purpose over appearance.

Do you have any data otherwise or is this just conjecture?

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

16. See #15, below

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

15. Well, maybe not

https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/18/the-5-best-selling-handguns-in-america-all-have-1.aspx
"You can argue over which brand of handgun you like, but when it comes to features, there is little room for argument. Most shoppers are looking for a gun that is compact, lightweight, and accurate. And for good reason: People want to arm themselves with handguns that are easily concealable and can fill the role of a personal defense weapon.
.....
All roads lead here
As each of these top sellers makes clear, the biggest driver of demand is self-defense as concealability remains the primary attribute buyers are looking for in their firearms. Major media outlets continue to report on civil unrest following the Presidential election, so we may not have seen the end of the gun sales boom that occurred during the Obama administration -- or the growing interest in compact, concealed carry weapons."


The idea of compact is entirely counter to a longer gun fitted with a silencer. I also can't imagine that adding anything made of metal to gun would make it lighter. I guess folks believe what they want to believe.

[friendly_iconoclast]

20. It's good to see what are essentially religious objections to silencers countered by...

...such a cogent response. Thank you.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

29. I didn't do much

I googled "most popular handgun sold" and copy/pasted 2 paragraphs from the motley fool.

The 3 sentences of conclusions at the bottom of #15 are mine.
But you're welcome.

I'm generally pleased with your contributions, too.

[spin]

31. To many people who have a permit to carry concealed, compact size, light weight and

accuracy are important factors in the choice of their carry weapon. Concealment and weight is not as important for a home defense firearm but of course accuracy is. For those who can legally open carry the size and weight of the weapon are not as important. It's more difficult to conceal a full size handgun than a more compact one. The .380 Ruger LCP which is listed as the number one gun in the article is compact and light enough to be a pocket gun. A. Glock 19 or a 1911 style .45 automatic is too big for normal pocket carry.

The number of people obtaining concealed weapons permits is increasing and consequently so is the demand for compact, light weight and concealable handguns.

[hack89]

18. I bought my AR-15s based on accuracy and ergonomics

in competitive shooting, there are no style points.

[friendly_iconoclast]

21. Feel free at any time to give us a cogent argument against the act in question

I'm sure we'd all like to see one...

[krispos42]

24. Anything people buy has some component of visual appeal

Our primary means of observing the world is visual, so that plays into everything we do. Guns are no exception to this rule; you can buy a variety of accessories to replace stock parts, and many of these accessories are functionally identical yet visually different. For example, you can buy magazine base plates with symbols and sayings etched/engraved/silkscreened on them. American flags, sports team logos, catchy sayings, skulls, etc.

And there is a certain amount of quality judgement that goes into looks: if they spent that much time on the outside, they must have spend even more on the inside, right?

Hopefully, at least.

But designers are no less human than you, and take pride in their work same as everybody else. If they design an eye-catching design for the serrations of a pistol slide that is equally effective as a plain design, they take as much pride in this achievement as the consumer that will purchase that gun.

[Marengo]

28. Can you offer any proof of this?

[krispos42]

13. If this was any other consumer product...

...a muffler would be mandatory.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

17. Maybe someone could invent an electronically controlled...

...'smart silencer' that gets louder when fired by an unauthorized user, calls police on its cellular modem and slows down the bullet.

[krispos42]

25. Or better yet, slows down the bullet only on one side of the barrel...

...so the bullet boomerangs back and hits the unauthorized user.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

30. There was this movie... Criminal with Kevin Costner

You'd probably like the end.

[hack89]

5. Do you realize how loud a suppressed gun is?

Library whisper – 30 db
Emergency vehicle siren – 115 db
Silenced .22 rifle – 116 db
Thunder – 120 db
Silenced 9mm pistol – 125 db
Dish breaking – 129 db
Jackhammer – 130 db
Silenced .223 rifle – 134 db
Silenced 12 gauge shotgun – 137 db
Jet taking off – 150 db
Non-silenced 12 gauge shotgun – 160 db
Non-silenced .223 rifle – 165 db

https://crimefictionbook.com/2015/04/28/how-loud-is-a-silencer/

[spin]

36. Far too many people learn their knowledge about firearms from movies. ...

Silencers reduce the noise and help prevent long term hearing problems. Perhaps a better name for silencers would be noise reduction aids as a high powered firearm is still quite loud even with a silencer.

Over years of shooting I developed some loss of hearing although to be fair I also worked in a factory with a high noise level for 37 years. A co-worker who didn't shoot on a regular basis had his hearing tested and it was found that at some frequencies his hearing was damaged. The company I worked for would get enough complaints that they would test the db levels of the envioronment and it would always come up just short of being at a damaging level. Then another piece of equipment would be added which increased the noise level considerably but another test would show the level was still acceptable. Therefore I can't attribute my hearing loss to only shooting firearms. In the last few years I worked at the factory I advised a lot of new employees to use ear plugs and many did.

Even though I wore ear protection I did a lot of shooting on an indoor pistol range. That undoubtedly contributed to my hearing loss. Hearing loss is often due to the long term effects of being exposed to a high noise level. The loss builds up gradually in many cases.

Fortunately I am not at the point where I have to use a hearing aid. Since I am now 71 I consider myself lucky to be able to hear as well as I do.

[petronius]

3. This sounds appropriate. Even if granting that they should be regulated at all (which

I'm not convinced of), there's no good reason why they should be more tightly controlled than the gun itself. A standard background check, without the fee and other hoops, is a reasonable compromise...

[appal_jack]

9. There's nothing wrong with the Hearing Protection Act

The NFA rules about suppressors are ridiculous. Democrats would be wise to support this Hearing Protection Act legislation, which really is "common sense."

Concealed Carry reciprocity across state lines is also "common sense." We do this with driver's licenses, marriage licenses, and a suite of other things. It's basic, Constitutional "common sense."

I'd also like to see the rules on short barreled rifles repealed. They are firearms like any other, and should be regulated as such.

k&r,

-app

[oneshooter]

11. In France supressors are sold over the counter.

Last edited Thu May 25, 2017, 11:47 AM - Edit history (1)

And are required in many areas for hunting.

[friendly_iconoclast]

22. We aren't supposed to mention inconvenient truths like that...

[ileus]

23. Get rid of Uncle Sams red tape and I'd buy at least 2.

It would be nice to have one for the 22's and rifle sized muffler.

[nycbos]

26. Made me think of this.

[underpants]

27. Three DAYS?!?? but I'm angry NOW!

[tortoise1956]

33. Thanks for that clip...

I laughed my ass off!

[AbatementYoginite]

32. gun silencers can be bought at multiple european countries over the counter

n/t

[yagotme]

35. Welcome to DU!

And, let's not bring that European "argument" up. It only works "one" way.

[aikoaiko]

34. I look forward to both bills passing and becoming law.