GOP Pulls Legislative Maneuver to Advance Bill Making Silencers Easier to Purchase

Suppressors get more than their fair share of negative attention, thanks in no small part to their association with Hollywood blockbuster snipers. They are much more than the cliche go-to of the cinematic assassin, though, and the GOP has taken up the defense of suppressors as one of its more quiet ambitions.

The Hearing Protection Act seeks to remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act. The current regulations require the purchase of a $200 tax stamp along with a complex application process. Even those qualified to own suppressors aren’t guaranteed that they can get approved in some locations. The Hearing Protection Act seeks to change that.

The House Committee on Natural Resources is set to hold a hearing tomorrow and the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreation Enhancement Act is on the agenda. This new measure includes almost all of the meat of the Hearing Protection Act.

So there’s hope. If this new legislation passes, and Suppressors are pulled from the NFA, it will be much easier to purchase them. Anyone who can legally own a firearm could also buy a suppressor with no waiting period, and no tax stamp.