Two new bills were recently introduced into the House and Senate regarding “The Hearing Protection Act.” This act is designed to loosen some of the restrictions on how silencers for guns are handled. People think — I should say non-gun people think — that silencers are only used by people who want to hide their gunfire when they sneak into someone’s house in the middle of the night and shoot them. The fact is, gunfire is loud — it’s why we wear ear protection at the range.
It’s also the basis of the argument for The Hearing Protection Act, which amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the $200 transfer tax on firearm silencers, and treat any person who acquires or possesses a firearm silencer as meeting any registration or licensing requirements of the National Firearms Act with respect to such silencer. Meaning no nine-month waiting period.
Silencers, or suppressors as they are called as of late, do not “silence” the sound of gunfire, but can substantially suppress it. Opponents of suppressors make the claim that it will be good news for armed criminals, citing the rare use of silencers in recent years’ crime due to the difficulty in procuring them. They also claim the public health claim is bogus, noting shooters, as a group, seem to all have their hearing intact. And lastly, perhaps their most proficient argument is a concern about chaotic scenes involving an active shooter scenario. If law enforcement, in the midst of a crowded, noisy atmosphere, is unable to accurately pinpoint the source of gunfire, that is worrisome.
Proponents of The Hearing Protection Act do cite public health as a concern; current ear protection is not good enough, some say. They want to be able to converse easily while shooting at the range. Hunters want to be able to hear prey they are tracking, something nearly impossible to do while wearing ear protection. Advocates of the act say silencers increase accuracy and that they don’t increase crime. Furthermore, suppressors are a large, growing part of the gun industry and sure to increase gun revenue across the board as even new markets for resale open.
There is much debate, but some say it’s much ado about nothing.
Do you own a silencer? Would be more inclined to buy one if The Hearing Protection Act passed? Please leave your comments below.
