OPPOSE a Ban of Firearm Sound Suppressors
Virginia: OPPOSE a Ban of Firearm Sound Suppressors
Misinformation about firearm sound suppressors is rampant
Firearm sound suppressors are devices that attach to the end of a firearm's barrel to reduce the noise of a gunshot. Suppressors, silencers, mufflers, moderators, and "cans" are all names for the same type of device that is designed to reduce the report of a firearm. These devices were called "silencers" by their designer, but today are more commonly called suppressors because they only reduce the noise of a gunshot, not silence it. Suppressors function in the same way as the mufflers used on automobiles. In fact, firearm suppressors and automobile mufflers were designed by the same person.
Despite there being over 1.6 million lawfully possessed suppressors in the United States, they are very rarely used in a crime. There are only a handful of recorded cases where a lawfully possessed suppressor has been used in a crime.
Benefits of suppressors
According to the Centers for Disease Control (which isn’t known for being particularly friendly to firearm owners) “The only potentially effective noise control method to reduce students’ or instructors’noise exposure from gunfire is through the use of noise suppressors that can be attached to the end of the gun barrel.”This conclusion from the CDC is unsurprising to anyone who has actually used a firearm equipped with a suppressor. Firearm suppressors reduce the report of a firearm by about 20-35 decibels, and, unlike other forms of hearing protection, are not susceptible to user error that substantially limits their effectiveness.
The health problems associated with loud noises are apparent when looking at the amount of hearing loss suffered by soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. The Veterans Administrations reports on its website that “[h]earing problems …are by far the most prevalent service-connected disability among American Veterans.”
Firearms, even with a suppressor, are very loud
Unsuppressed firearms produce a noise impulse of 140-180 decibels (dBA). Suppressors reduce this noise by 20-35 dBA. Decibels (dBA) are a logarithmic scale, so sound levels increase in a non-linear fashion. A 3 dBA increase doubles the sound pressure level. (Although most people perceive a 6 to 10 dBA increase as double the noise level.)
To put this in context, the 130-140 decibels produced by most suppressed firearms is louder than a jackhammer, which can produce between 110-130 decibels.
Suppressors are very heavily regulated already
Despite being an inert metal device that is completely harmless on its own, suppressors are regulated as heavily under federal law as machineguns and grenade launchers. Acquiring a suppressor involves paying a $200 tax, a burdensome application process, and long processing times, often upwards of a year.
Banning suppressors wouldn’t have stopped the Virginia Beach tragedy
Following the shooting, Virginia Beach Police Chief James Cervera stated,
As far as more legislation on gun issues. I’m a member of Major City Chiefs, we did publish something about a year and a half ago. I don’t think most of that would have mattered in this particular case. We do have the Second Amendment it is very stringent for our country. In this particular case the weapons were obtained legally. Everything was done in a legal manner by this individual.
Gov. Northam recently suggested that this is not a complete list of the gun control measures he wants the General Assembly to consider. Read the latest articles.
It's critical that every gun owner in the Commonwealth contact their legislators and urge them to OPPOSE Gov. Northam’s and his media allies' gun control agenda.
NRA-ILA is hosting town hall meetings throughout Virginia— including in Fredericksburg, Ashland, and Belle Haven.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
As Stephen Gutowski notes at the Free Beacon, there’s a truly radical proposal lurking in the Virginia governor’s ...
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
The Republican lawmaker from Southwest, who supports the Second Amendment, said Governor Northam's gun control bills were "dead ...
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Virginia Republicans, the National Rifle Association, and a state-based gun-rights group announced their opposition this week to a ...
Monday, January 7, 2019
Democratic Governor Ralph Northam rolled out a gun control package which could be bad news for the Boy ...
Friday, July 27, 2018
The five-member School Board in Lee County, a small system in Virginia’s far southwest, voted unanimously earlier this ...
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Gov. Ralph Northam made a pitch for gun control at a Capitol Square rally Monday afternoon, but much ...
Friday, January 12, 2018
This week, Virginia Governor McAuliffe and Governor-Elect Ralph Northam outlined their top priorities for the upcoming legislative session, ...
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
Democratic Gov.-elect Ralph Northam said Tuesday that expanding Medicaid in Virginia and implementing universal background checks for gun ...
Monday, October 23, 2017
Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, the political arm of one of the nation’s largest gun control groups, ...
Friday, October 20, 2017
The two major party candidates in Virginia’s race for governor sharply disagree when it comes to guns.Republican Ed ...