Silencer sales booming

Another reason to use a silencer is for reduction in noise exposure. In industrial hygiene, this is referred to as an "engineering control" as opposed to an "administrative control" which might invlove limiting during of exposure, or use of PPE (personal protective equipment).

Anyone who knows much about firearms and the world knows that many of the British Commonwaelth areas expect one to use a silencer while hunting so as not to disturb the neighbors. I believe it was in the 90s when my parents ventured to New Zealand that silencers were like $25. I've heard similar stories of GB in the 80s. Of course, in the civilized, first world country of the United States, silencers are controlled and cost as much as a good firearm.

It's all BS. Taxation on silencers and registration of same violate a number of Constitutional provisions in the BoR and in the original document. AND Leges posteriores priores contrarias abrogant.

As urban areas encroach the lands where shooting ranges were formerly made the number one tool of tools to close ranges is; noise complaints. Mention the existence of these "silencers" of course and that's just another reason for hysteria.

Hogs are pretty smart. They can hear 120+ decibels that a suppressed subsonic weapon generates and they know they're being shot at when a bullet thumps into one of their buddies.

The real reason to do it is to be able to shooot without wearing earmuffs. It lets you hear game and more importantly, lets you hear other people who might be yelling important safety information to you as you concentrate on taking the shot (like "holy shit asshole the range is still cold why are you shooting"). It also protects your hearing and avoids annoying your neighbors if you live in a non-wilderness setting. Being able to go out at 11:30pm and shoot a raccoon off your trash cans without bothering your neighbors is a huge benefit to everyone.

"In Texas, 3,621 silencers were sold in fiscal 2010, ahead of 2,053 in Florida and 1,153 in Georgia, the data show."

Hm, okay that's a total of 6,827 silencers sold in just those three states in just one year. So that's a total of $1,365,400.00 to BATFE for doing almost nothing, and taking months to do it!

The proper term is "suppressor" not "silencer". Silencers do not make firearms "silent" like the movies. They are like mufflers on a car, they manage noise of operation, they do not eliminate it.

KMAN,

Are you referring to the terms as used in NFA34? You may want to do a little research.

From the ATF NFA Handbook...

A firearm silencer and a firearm muffler are defined as any device for silencing,
muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm.

Firearm silencers are generally composed of
an outer tube, internal baffles, a front end cap, and a rear end cap.

The definition of a silencer also includes any combination of parts, designed or redesigned, and intended for use in assembling or fabricating a firearm silencer or firearm muffler.

Chuck

KMAN,

Also see 18 USC 921(3)(C)

(3) The term “firearm” means
(A) any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive;
(B) the frame or receiver of any such weapon;
(C) any firearm muffler or firearm silencer; or

Just Sayin!
Chuck

Just because the law refers to suppressors as "silencers" doesn't mean it should be accepted as being the proper term.

If we are going to accept government nomenclature with regard to firearms as being correct, when I put on my shoes I tie my "machine guns" because the ATF considers shoelaces to be machine guns.

Best example is the disparity between the real definition of "assault weapon" (select fire rifle) versus "assault weapon" according to the now expired federal law (semi-automatic firearm with "evil features"). Government nomenclature involving firearms is often specifically selected to be used against us.

Since the accessories we are talking about don't make the gun silent, but only suppress the sound they make so it is less loud but still audible, calling them "silencers" make no sense. In fact, I bet if you asked someone whether they should be legal, more people would say "yes" if you used the word "suppressor" instead of "silencer".

Even Wikipedia refers to them as suppressors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppressor

Not that I really care, but it seems to me we are supporting a ban on them when we refer to them as silencers. That is a term that supports a ban on them. To the public, silencers are what evil people in movies use. Suppressors could be understood to be what polite shooters use to minimize the inconvenience of unwanted noise to others.

Maybe if they were called "mufflers" when they were first released, the law would have required them, like they require them for cars, and people would actually get in trouble if their gun was too loud, like kids with hot rods get into trouble with rodded out exhausts.

Hiram Maxim named it "silencer", so as far as I'm concerned that's what it is.