GA:Gun Mufflers for Hunting Passes Senate

Gun Watch ^ | 27 February, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Use of Silencers is encouraged in Europe Photo Courtesy Gun World

Gun mufflers, also known as suppressors or silencers, have been approved for hunting in Georgia by the Senate.

The bill passed the senate 43-10.  SB 93 will be considered by the house next. 

A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding hunting, so as to authorize the use of suppressors on hunting firearms under certain circumstances; to provide for suspension of hunting privileges for persons who are convicted of hunting without landowner permission, hunting in an area that is closed to hunting, or hunting big game out of season or at night with a suppressor equipped firearm; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

The United States has some of the most restrictive laws about the use and ownership of gun mufflers of any country in the world.  Most European countries treat the devises as simply another firearm accessory.   No one knows why gun mufflers were included in the National Firearms Act of 1934.  In that act, existing gun mufflers had to be registered with the federal government, and a tax of $200 paid, which was the equivalent of $4,000 today.  As the gun mufflers were commonly sold for $10 or less, the law was an effective ban on legal ownership of the devices.

There were no movies or television shows linking the devises to fictional figures in organized crime, nor was any other reason given for including the devices in the 1934 ban.   The unintended consequences of hearing loss for tens of millions of shooters was not even considered.  It wasn't until the 1960's that the effect of the exposure to momentary loud noises on hearing loss was well understood.

Inflation has reduced the real cost of the tax to near the cost of the mufflers, and the obvious safety and social utility of these devices is receiving more attention.  In Europe, use of gun mufflers is encouraged as a polite way of not disturbing the peace and quiet of your neighbors morning when you dispatch a garden pest or engage in some target practice.

In Finland, gun mufflers for .22 caliber firearms sell over the counter for the equivalent of 50 dollars.

©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

The enormous regulatory burden and $200 tax on gun mufflers is one of the most irrational of the federal gun laws.

[Gaffer]

It took almost one year for the paperwork for the 22LR silencer I bought to go through.

Granted, I did it through a Gun Trust and no CLEO, NICS, fingerprints, etc. were required which probably lengthened the process some, but that amount of time is intentionally lengthened in my opinion - to keep prospective new applicants from exercising their constitutional rights.

[rarestia]

I’ll admit I was going through the process and gave up halfway through. I had a 22LR picked out and a Florida-based NFA manufacturer setup for the purchase. By the time I got to the CLEO/fingerprint part, I considered a gun trust, looked into it with a local lawyer, sat down with the wife to consider it, and we just let it die on the vine.

I’m very disturbed that this incredibly simple act, purchasing a muffler for a firearm, requires so much paperwork. It’s absolutely asinine. The Left ALWAYS cites international law when it’s convenient for them, but when it comes to European nations REQUIRING silencers for gun owners, no, that’s too burdensome and America’s laws are what they are.

*spit*

[KoRn]

To restrict suppressors is just stupid. If a criminal is determined to harm someone with a firearm, I seriously doubt it matters how much noise it makes.

[marktwain]

Inside buildings and automobiles, the building or the automobile acts as a giant gun muffler.

[riverrunner]

The DC snipers use an automobile suppressor to a great effect.

[from occupied ga]

The enormous regulatory burden and $200 tax on gun mufflers is one of the most irrational of the federal gun laws.

Are there ANY rational federal gun laws?

[KoRn]

If you throw a fluffy pillow over the end of your muzzle before firing a rifle, can you go to federal prison?

[KoRn]

"The DC snipers use an automobile suppressor to a great effect."

Those guys were some truly wicked bastards, but I have to admire the effectiveness of their planning/implementation. That was very clever for what they set out to accomplish.

[marktwain]

“Are there ANY rational federal gun laws?”

No.

But some are more irrational than others.

We could have a contest, what is the least irrational federal gun law?

Nearly all of them seem unconstitutionalto me, but I would have to vote for a federal duty on the importation of ammunition. Federal control of the borders, and the ability to collect taxes on imported goods, is well established as a constitutionally granted power of the federal government.

[from occupied ga]

I have a problem wih tariffs which is explained by M. Bastiat but that is another topic altogether.

[ßuddaßudd]

suppressed is best

[xrmusn]

“The DC snipers use an automobile suppressor to a great effect.”

Those guys were some truly wicked bastards, but I have to admire the effectiveness of their planning/implementation. That was very clever for what they set out to accomplish.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
Actually those two were brilliant though both dumb as a pile of rocks.
Probably one of the reasons they almost got away with it and when caught basically a fluke as the ‘powers that be’ had everyone looking for and ‘fearful’ of a white truck and really not even sure what kind of ‘white truck’ - pickup, box, van etc...

These guys were so stupid they were smart.
The one shooting in Falls Church they BOTH turned up chatting with the police and eventually had a lot of people not only ‘afraid’ to get gas but go on the Highways as Police were stopping all kinds of traffic on the Interstates because they ‘spotted’ a white truck in the area.
Then the FBI got as ‘brilliant’ by ‘giving control’ to Moose, who if he failed they could all shrug their shoulders and say “I told you so” or if he succeeded ‘they’ could take the credit guiding him in the right direction.

The ‘profile’ that was worked up was absolutely spot on.

“One, maybe Two, WHITE MALES with vast Sniper Training, skilled in Military tactics” would have IMMEDIATELY classed as “Disgruntled TEA Party” members BUT the TEA Party hadn’t been invented or at least was not a household word.

Just think if anyone with ‘brains’ (say trained terrorists) would have set loose about 8 or 9 two man teams in a defunct old car in the various parts of the country and run the same ‘drill’ simultaneously....

If the way DC was handled was the norm the whole country would have been in panic and even the ‘savages from Fenwick’ would have been able to walk in and take over.

My ‘Black Helicopter’ ‘Tinfoil hat’ side still is open to kind of thinking it was some kind of drill to see if shutting down major highways was not only possible but feasible and check the publics reaction to it.

And the authorities really did nothing to make me feel different...(HA)

[xrmusn]

Looking at the picture of the gentleman shooting...
He looks like a ‘rugged, all man type’, not some sissyfied punk like BO seemed to be in those
‘Gonna shoot me some of them thar skeets’ photo of BO..

Of course I am sort of ‘biased’ but if the shoe fits, etc etc etc.

(I say sort of because I don’t think my judgment of BO - especially - in this case is ‘unfair’)

[RipSawyer]

I suspect the noise is only a consideration to the real professional killer type and he will have a suppressor anyway if he wants one, legal or not. It certainly is strange that you could be charged with two offenses on the same hunting trip, once for a vehicle that makes TOO MUCH noise and once for a gun that DOES NOT MAKE ENOUGH noise.