Free Republic

We’ve got some fantastic news for you folks, but it’s tempered a little bit, and that’s where you come in to help out. The Hearing Protection Act (HPA) recently passed out of the House of Representatives as an integral part of President Trump’s Big Beautiful Budget Bill. It is now on its way to the Senate to hopefully be passed in the budget reconciliation process. ... Given that bias, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to regain some firearm freedoms. Naturally, the leftist gun-grabbing ghoul lobby is losing its collective mind over this development, so they are going full fear-mongering mode...

The growing popularity of suppressors among both hunters and tactical shooters has brought increased attention to the various mounting systems available on the market. When selecting a suppressor, the mounting system is a critical consideration that directly impacts performance, convenience, and versatility. The two primary mounting types—direct thread and quick-detach (QD)—each offer distinct advantages and disadvantages depending on your specific needs and usage scenarios. This comprehensive comparison examines both systems through the lens of practical application, helping you determine which option best suits your particular requirements. Whether you’re a hunter seeking noise reduction in the field or a tactical shooter...

A lot of what I do here at Bearing Arms is write about things that annoy me. Every gun control bill that flows down the pipe annoys me to no end. Even the victories, such as they are, aren't that great in my mind, at least in most cases. I mean, I was thrilled when Georgia passed constitutional carry, but it only had a secondary impact on me, personally. Today, though, I get to take a step toward actual celebration, because the biggest Second Amendment legislative victory in my lifetime is one step closer to happening. That's right, boys and...

So what’s happening to the bill in the Ways and Means committee? We’d guess it’s realpolitik. It sounds like Cox and Rep. Kustoff have recognized that they have a snowball’s chance in Hell of passing the bill delisting suppressors and rather than throwing their hands up and saying, ‘Oh well, we gave it the old college try,’ they’ve decided to take a big step in the right direction.A tax stamp has cost $200 since it was enacted as part of the NFA in 1934. While inflation has whittled the real value of that away over the decades, it’s still not...

The Hearing Protection Act (HPA) might be in trouble in the House Ways and Means Committee, and anti-gun lobbyists are NOT the ones holding it up. David Kustoff (R-TN) has been actively pushing to lower the tax stamp to $5 from $200, which would be a welcome change, but the better alternative is to remove suppressors completely from the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA). That would eliminate the tax stamp fee and remove all other NFA requirements. This option is the best option for gun owners, yet he is pushing the latter and is against the elimination of suppressors...

Charlie Kirk@charliekirk11Wild! Attorney General Pam Bondi explains what really happened with Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan that led to her arrest by FBI:"The Judge learns that ICE was outside to get the guy, because he had been deported in 2013, came back into our country, charged with committing these crimes, victim is in court.Judge finds out. She goes out into the hallway. Screams at the immigration officer. She's furious. Visibly shaken. Upset. Sends them off to talk to the chief judge."She comes back into the courtroom. You're not going to believe this. Takes the defendant and the defense attorney back in...

The Department of Justice under Attorney General Pam Bondi appears to be taking a different direction in ongoing litigation about Second Amendment rights. Bondi's chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, said on X that protecting Americans' Second Amendment rights is a "high priority" and that the department will be "re-evaluating some of its recent litigation positions on Second Amendment issues, including silencers." The announcement comes after the DOJ moved to delay a ruling in the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after the acting U.S. attorney argued that suppressors are not protected under the Second Amendment. It is part of the...

Interesting things are happening in the Fifth Circuit case involving silencers, USA v Peterson. A three-judge panel ruled that silencers were not “arms” as defined by the text of the Second Amendment. Peterson and his attorneys have asked the case be reheard in an en banc review. The Fifth Circuit has been reasonably diligent in its Second Amendment cases, so an en banc (review by the whole court) has a good chance of reversing the three-judge panel. The Peterson case appears to be seriously considered by the Fifth Circuit. The court has sent a request to the parties involved to...

In October, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the gun industry’s trade association, reported that Americans owned 4.9 million silencers as of July 2024 according to data provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).1 Compared to previous reporting, this updated total reflects an alarming surge in silencer sales: In the first six months of 2024 alone, Americans purchased and registered a staggering 1.4 million silencers.The data shows that between May 2021 and July 2024, a mere three-year span, Americans accumulated nearly as many silencers as were registered in the previous 87 years — since the National...

>Courtesy Open Source DefenseExponential curves like the one above don’t just stop. The consumer demand (for suppressors) is there, and it’s accelerating. And that’s happening just as NFA wait times are coming down. From the NSSF:Updated times announced today by ATF show the average wait time on a paper NFA Form 4 — the most popular NFA form submitted — dropped to an average of 245 days for processing, while average daily processing times for electronic eForm 4’s dropped to 53 days. Previously, wait times on Form 4’s were near 280 days for paper form processing and between 90 and...

From some time in 2019 to the present, the Department of Homeland Security, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, has been running an Operation Silent Night to intercept items coming from China that can be used to make suppressors/silencers. The operation has seized a lot of material, with relatively few arrests. The items seized are routinely marketed as solvent traps, fuel filters, or pill containers. As most of them do not have holes so that a bullet can travel through them, it is difficult to prosecute people for importing a “silencer” or even “silencer parts” when similar items...

There’s an appetite to deregulate suppressors and make the process to obtain them easier. What explains this push, and why now? Why didn’t Republicans pull the trigger when they controlled all branches of government during the 114th Congress? Passing legislation under a Democratic-controlled Congress, even with slim majorities, is unlikely. And don’t count on President Biden, a gun rights foe, to sign any bill into law. While efforts may not succeed today, the future of suppressor deregulation isn’t out of sight yet. The Industry SpeaksThe push for suppressor deregulation isn’t new. It’s always been a top priority for the firearms...

On 15 June, 2021, Governor Greg Abbott signed Texas HB 957 into law. The new law removes the Texas prohibition on firearm suppressors, commonly known as silencers or gun mufflers. From the bill: “Firearm suppressor” means any device designed, made, or adapted to muffle the report of a firearm.From the legislative history, it appears silencers, suppressors or gun mufflers were first banned in Texas in 1973. Although they were banned in Texas law, there was an affirmative defense from prosecution if the gun mufflers were legally possessed under federal law, as shown in this AmmoLand article from 2014.As you can...

To skirt the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, the bill would free suppressors made in Texas from federal regulation.The Texas legislature has eased restrictions on firearm suppressors and paved the way for Texas-made suppressors to skirt Washington’s grasp. House Bill (HB) 957 would trim away federal regulation around suppressors in Texas, forbidding cities and counties from enforcing federal suppressor laws and asserting that Texas-made suppressors are not subject to federal regulation. It has passed both chambers of the Texas legislature.State Rep. Tom Oliverson (R-Cypress), a physician, presented both medical and legal reasons for his bill. Oliverson said suppressors can...

Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation to ban the sale and possession of firearm suppressors, known as silencers. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) said that the 2021 Help Empower Americans to Respond (HEAR) Act, would ban the sale, importation, manufacturing, and possession of silencers. The bill was first introduced in 2019 after a mass shooting in Virginia Beach that left 12 dead. The measure will also create a silencer buyback program, give Americans a 90-day period after the bill becomes law, and it would provide exceptions for law enforcement and other personnel. “Gun silencers are dangerous devices...

Between improved Accuracy, Reduced Recoil, Scaring less game, widespread OK and Protecting your Hearing, there are a lot of reasons to consider Hunting with a Suppressor. Don't let this turn you off, but at present, suppressors are considered Class II weapons and are regulated by the National Firearms Act and subject to the same controls as machineguns. To legally possess one, at the very least, you’ll need to fill out some forms (online or old-fashioned paper ones), get finger-printed at your local police station, pay a $200 tax, and wait for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to...

With high interest in 'cans' and plenty of manufacturers to pick from these days, here's a look at seven of the best units for AR-type rifles. Suppressors, or "cans," are becoming a common accessory on the firearms of professionals and sport shooters. Once viewed as an assassin’s tool used by mobsters and spies, they are now used routinely by military, law enforcement and others. They are not “silencers,” as they used to be referred to. They decrease the decibel level, but they cannot silence a firearm. There are many advantages to running a suppressor on your long gun. In the...

Silencerco aims to Upend thoughts on Suppressors - Guns have been around in one form or another for 800 years. Much has changed, but the firearms industry cannot be accused of being on the leading edge of technology. The 1911 handgun is still widely used and adored, as is the AR-15. The 1911 by its name alone tells you that it has passed the century mark, and the AR-15 is more than 50 years old. These are just two examples of the antiquated technology employed by most firearms industry manufacturers; but not all of them. THE BEGINNING What happens when...

Cautionary Note: All silencers require a $200 tax stamp from the BATFE in the USA.  I caution U.S. readers not to produce one unless you pay the tax and acquire the proper paperwork first.  Any time you are breaking new ground in the world of firearms development, especially when it involves new technologies, we caution you to get the best legal advice in navigating and lawfully complying with the multiple and confusing world of local, state, and federal gun laws. The only stated purpose of this article is to report on new developments and the adaption of new technologies for...

Gun control has a problem with the truth. They can’t shoot straight. Brady: United Against Gun Violence is the latest example of just making it up as they go and thinking no one will notice. Officials there sent out a plea for money claiming the Trump administration’s rollback of a 2002 State Department ban on suppressor exports is putting U.S. service members’ lives at risk. The fundraiser email read as follows: “The harm is clear: This repeal will increase the risk that U.S. service members will be shot or killed with American-made guns and accessories. “This repeal is immoral. It’s...