There might be good news coming for Wyoming hunters and shooters fed up with jumping through hoops to get suppressors for their guns, as President Donald Trump might be poised to lift 91-year-old restrictions on them.
Avid hunter, trapper and angler Adam Ashmore told Cowboy state Daily that he’d love to see that happen.
Buying a suppressor under the current rules was a bureaucratic nightmare, said Ashmore, who lives near Hartville.
“I had to pay for it in advance,” then purchase a $200 tax stamp and file paperwork with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), he said.
“It took a year from the time I bought it until the time I actually got it,” he said, adding that high-quality suppressors cost about $990-$1,500.
But while suppressors might become easier to obtain, that won’t be the case with fully automatic weapons, gun rights lobbyist Mark Jones of Buffalo told Cowboy State Daily.
“I don’t hear a lot of chatter about reforming that part (restrictions on automatic weapons), that would be a lot more controversial,” said Jones, the national director for Gun Owners of America.
Current restrictions on fully automatic rifles and pistols, submachine guns and machine guns will likely stay in place, Jones said. Those include special licensing, and extensive waiting period and paying the tax stamp.
Full-autos generally aren’t legal for hunting – they’re mostly shot purely for entertainment on gun ranges.
In a few places, such as Texas, fully automatic weapons can be legally used to blast away at mobs of feral hogs – which are regarded as a destructive invasive species there.
Will Trump Deliver?
Trump campaigned on promises to loosen firearms restrictions, and he seems ready to deliver on that – at least when it comes to suppressors – which are commonly, though mistakenly, called “silencers,” Jones said.
Ironically, that would put Americans on the same footing as some Europeans when it comes to gun rights, he added.
“They ought to be available over-the-counter, like they are in Sweden and Norway,” Jones said.
Blame 1930s Gangsters For The Restrictions
Suppressors, full-autos and other items are restricted under National Firearms Act (NFA).
The NFA first went into effect in 1934 and included requiring the $200 tax stamp for restricted weapons and accessories.
“The $200 tax has not changed since 1934,” according to ATF.
Murderous prohibition-era gangsters prompted the act, according to the agency.
“As the legislative history of the law discloses, its underlying purpose was to curtail, if not prohibit, transactions in NFA firearms. Congress found these firearms to pose a significant crime problem because of their frequent use in crime, particularly the gangland crimes of that era such as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre,” according to the ATF website.
If the reforms Trump seems to be pushing for go through, suppressors could be purchased without the extra red tape or added costs of the tax stamps, Jones said.
Instead, it would probably be much like buying a firearm is now, he said.
The buyer would have to show identification and fill out a background check form. If they cleared the background check – which usually takes only a few minutes, they could walk out of the store with their suppressor.
Suppressors are becoming more popular among hunters, who say the devices tone done the noise of shots enough to prevent hearing loss. (Courtesy Photo) 
Suppressors are becoming more popular among hunters, who say the devices tone done the noise of shots enough to prevent hearing loss. (Courtesy Photo)
Suppressors Got A Bad Rap
There’s an argument to be made that suppressors never should have been lumped in on the NFA-restricted list with things such as gangster’s Tommy guns and sawed-off shotguns, Jones said.
Thanks to movies and television shows, suppressors are associated with assassins trying to quietly take people out – but most modern hunters and shooters use them for hearing protection, he said.
“In Europe, they see it as a hearing protection device,” he said.
Ashmore agreed that scary hype has been built up around suppressors.
“I don’t understand what the problem is. They Hollywood people have made it out to be something it’s not. I don’t think there’s going to be more crimes with them,” he said.
More Than A ‘Pew’
Ashmore said putting a suppressor on his AR-15 rifle has made a huge difference.
The rifle is chambered for 5.56mm or .223 cartridges. And although those are relatively small rounds, as far as rifle cartridges go, they produce a loud crack and robust concussion when fired.
With a suppressor, Ashmore said his AR-15 is hardly louder than a standard .22 rimfire rifle, which has made shooting it far more pleasant.
He frequently uses it for target practice, as well as hunting coyotes.
He added that while a suppressor significantly cuts down on the noise and concussion, it doesn’t make firearms just quietly go “pew,” as is often depicted in popular entertainment.
“The public, they watch movies and they think it’s completely silent, but it’s not like that,” Ashmore said.
Jones said suppressors are becoming increasingly popular with big game hunters, who don’t like having their ears walloped by magnum-caliber cartridges when they take shots at elk, deer and antelope.
Suppressors can also reduce a rifle’s recoil, Jones added.
Under current regulations, hunters can’t lend rifles equipped with suppressors to other hunters, he said.
“I can let you shoot it if I’m there with you, but I can’t let you take it go off and use it on your own,” Jones said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
