Free Republic

Photo from the ATF letter.  Sig Sauer never contended that the muzzle brake would not function as part of a gun muffler/silencer/suppressor Sig Sauer, Inc., the well respected firearms manufacturer, has filed suit against  B. Todd Jones as the Director of the ATF for ruling that the muzzle brake that they submitted for evaluation is "a part intended only for use in the assembly or fabrication of a silencer and therefore is a silencer..."  as defined in U.S. statutes.   The case document can be read here.  It is nine pages long, and makes a fascinating read. Sig Sauer Inc.,...

Last year, second amendment supporters struggled to push an omnibus gun reform bill in the Georgia legislature.  They struggled.  There were conflicts between groups that claimed similar aims.   The bill stalled and ran out of time in the Senate. This year, a very similar bill, HB 875, has sailed through the house committee and has passed the House by a more than two to one margin.    Here is a list of who voted for or against the bill.  It has been assigned to the Judiciary Non-Civil Committee, the same committee it was assigned to last year.  The members of...

Eesley, a salesman at Black Wing Shooting Center in Delaware, said he sells plenty of silencers, but he often has to first educate people about the reality. A silenced gun still makes quite a bang. More than 20 lawmakers or their aides gathered yesterday at Black Wing to learn a similar lesson and hear from an expert on how silencers, or suppressors, can affect the noise levels of hunting rifles. The event was organized by the Buckeye Firearms Association in an effort to gain support for House Bill 234, which would allow hunting with a suppressor. . . . ....

Something that’s no the usual. Not an AR, Not 5.56 . . . something interesting:“Just got my Mini back from John at Great West Gunsmithing and wanted to show it off.  I know you all like to see your suppressors on unique hosts and I can’t find many people that have a SDN-6 on a Ruger Mini in 6.8 SPC.  Enjoy the pictures.I had the barrel cut to 14.5″ and the Blackout FH pinned on.  He also remounted the front sight, bedded the action, tuned the trigger, and installed a recoil buffer.  I’m pleased to say the least, and...

Mike asks: Now that I am turning 40 and I have a toddler in the house I am rethinking my Home Defense strategies and tactics. One of my biggest thoughts (in terms of money and time investment) is filing the requisite paperwork and getting suppressors for my HD guns. What are your thoughts? Also, what happens to my suppressor in the case of a DGU? What else should I consider? In my opinion, if you live in a silencer-friendly state and you don’t have a can on your home defense gun, that should be your next purchase. Like, your very next purchase, even...

In some areas of the United States, legislators are hard at work devising new laws to restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens to own and use firearms. But, in other areas, the opposite is happening. Take for example Wyoming where lawmakers have made it legal to hunt with suppressors. Here is a short announcement from the American Silencer Association. WYOMING: HUNTING WITH SUPPRESSORS BILL SIGNED INTO LAW New Law Goes Into Effect July 1, 2013 The American Silencer Association is pleased to announce that on February 18, Governor Matt Mead signed SF0132 into law, granting hunters in the state of...

Charlotte, NC --(Ammoland.com)- The Wyoming Senate Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee voted 4 to 1 in favor of a pro-hunting reform authored by Senator Ogden Driskill (R-1). Senate File 132 would repeal the state prohibition on hunting with sound suppressors (which are additionally regulated under federal law) while providing additional penalties for those who use them illegally. This bill is now eligible for a vote in the full Senate. A date for this Senate floor vote has not been scheduled at this time but please call and e-mail your state Senator urging him or her to vote in...

At the latest count, 39 states allow civilians to own suppressors. If you live in one of these silencer-friendly states and haven’t purchased a suppressor, you need to put one on your Christmas list. The advantages of suppressors are numerous. They not only protect your hearing but make shooting with a group of people much safer and improve marksmanship by reducing flinching. I’ve been shooting at Gunsite this last week during the Shooting Slam and had a perfect object lesson demonstrating the value of suppressors the other day. We’ve been shooting the Rock River Arms LAR-15 ATH Carbine, which has...

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming lawmakers will decide in coming months whether to follow a growing national trend and allow the use of silencers on hunting guns.

Early this morning, just as the sun was coming up, I was sitting on a pair of buckets with Tyler Kee in his brand new deer blind when a beautiful love-struck buck wandered into our field following a doe that had run through a few seconds earlier. And as I lined up my scope for what would be the fourth headshot on wildlife in a row, the biggest thing that was running through my mind was “I might be about to make history…” The state of Texas has always made hunting with silencers illegal for game animals. Something about poaching...

WASHINGTON, D.C. --(Ammoland.com)- On November 1 2012, a new law will go into effect granting hunters in the state of Oklahoma the right to use legally owned suppressors while hunting all game animals. With the help of ASA lobbyists, Senate Bill 1743 was signed into law by Governor Mary Fallin on May 25. The passage of the new law made Oklahoma the third state in 2012 to legalize suppressor use while hunting. Earlier in 2012, similar measures were also passed in Texas and Arizona. Contrary to popular belief, suppressors, also referred to as silencers, do not render gunshots inaudible. However,...

I recently had the pleasure of touring the Utah facility where Silencerco and SWR sound suppressors for firearms are manufactured. I toured my first arms plant in the late 1960s and many since, and I’ve never seen a manufacturing facility cleaner or more modern than this one. Their approach to their product is just as clean and modern. They want to make silencers more readily available to law-abiding citizens. I for one have no problem with that at all. Before Silencerco absorbed SWR, those companies joined two other firms to create the American Silencer Association. Most of the general public,...

Lawrenceville, GA --(Ammoland.com)- Advanced Armament Corp., LLC (“AAC”) is proud to announce an economical option for 300 AAC BLK enthusiasts – The AAC Handi-Rifle chambered in 300 AAC BLK. For many years, the Handi-Rifle has been the single-shot choice for of the accomplished and self-assured hunter that takes pride in their marksmanship. The AAC Handi-Rifle honors that choice with an impeccable blend of simplicity, reliability and accuracy. The ACC Handi-Rifle features a phosphate finish on a lightweight-profile 1:7-inch twist, 16-inch barrel. The barrel comes threaded in 5/8”×24 TPI with a thread protector and is ready to accept any variety of...

Washington, DC –-(Ammoland.com)- On September 1, 2012, a new regulation allowing hunters in the state of Texas to use suppressors while pursuing game animals will go into effect. With the passage of the new rule by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWD) on March 30, Texas became the second state in 2012 to legalize suppressor use while hunting. In 2012, similar measures were also passed legislatively in Arizona and Oklahoma. “These devices are already legal for hunting exotic animals, including feral hogs, and there is no resource- or enforcement-related reason to prohibit these devices for hunting alligators, game animals...

Washington, DC -(Ammoland.com)- Today, two state level pro-suppressor laws go into effect in Arizona and Minnesota. Signed into law on March 29 by Governor Jan Brewer, House Bill 2728 grants hunters in Arizona the right to use legally owned suppressors while hunting game animals. With the passage of the law, Arizona became the second state in 2012 to legalize suppressor use while hunting. Similar measures were also passed in Texas and Oklahoma. On April 18, Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota signed HF 1816 into law, allowing Federal Firearms Licensees with a Special Occupational Tax in Minnesota to possess suppressors to...

Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes knows my displeasure at the current state of affairs at the ATF, and specifically the wait times for NFA (National Firearms Act) paperwork to be processed. Seven months for a single form to be processed is honestly too much, and the American Silencer Association agrees. They met with the ATF NFA branch and members of congress recently to discuss the current issues and try to speed up the process, and hearing them talk about what’s going on behind the scenes (as well as seeing the STACKS of NFA forms in...

A new exhibit is coming to the National Firearms Museum this June, the Theodore Roosevelt Collection. Teddy Roosevelt is famous for his love of shooting, hunting, and battle. He was an avid gun user and collector, and a great fan of Winchester lever-action rifles, and one of his most-used and prized Winchesters will be a part of it. That Rifle is a Model 1894 likely chambered in .30-30, which he often called his "Little .30." Roosevelt instantly became a fan of the cartridge when it was first introduced. He was such a fan of their rifles that he tried every...

Longview, TX — Hunters can put their ear muffs and plugs away — if they’re patient and can afford to buy a silencer. Gun suppressors were legalized in late March, for hunting game animals, game birds and alligators. The law goes into effect Sept. 1, with the opening of dove season. “Suppressors are already legal for hunting exotic animals, including feral hogs,” said Scott Vaca, assistant chief of wildlife enforcement with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Vaca helped develop the proposal for the regulation change. Although the change opens the use of suppressors to a wider variety of animals,...

The Arizona Senate passed an important pro-hunting bill this afternoon by a 20 to 9 vote. House Bill 2728, which would allow hunters in Arizona to use lawfully-possessed suppressors (also referred to as silencers) on firearms for hunting, passed in the state House on February 28 by a 42 to 14 vote. HB 2728 now goes to Governor Jan Brewer for her approval. Enactment of HB 2728, introduced by state Representative David Gowan (R-30), would provide hunters the option to use legally-owned sound suppressors while hunting game. Currently, more than half of the states across the country allow hunters to...

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Opens Public Comment Period for Allowing Suppressor Use While Hunting The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission (TPWC) is seeking public comment on a proposed rule change allowing the use of suppressors (also referred to as silencers) on firearms for the hunting of game species. Currently, Texas law permits the use of lawfully-possessed suppressors for all other shooting activities, including the taking of nuisance species. Enactment of this rule change would ensure that hunting is treated the same way as other shooting activities with respect to the use of suppressors, and allow all hunters to reap...