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| Use of Silencers is encouraged in Europe Photo Courtesy Gun World |
Gun mufflers, also known as suppressors or silencers, have been approved for hunting in Georgia by the Senate.
The bill passed the senate 43-10. SB 93 will be considered by the house next.
The United States has some of the most restrictive laws about the use and ownership of gun mufflers of any country in the world. Most European countries treat the devises as simply another firearm accessory. No one knows why gun mufflers were included in the National Firearms Act of 1934. In that act, existing gun mufflers had to be registered with the federal government, and a tax of $200 paid, which was the equivalent of $4,000 today. As the gun mufflers were commonly sold for $10 or less, the law was an effective ban on legal ownership of the devices.A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding hunting, so as to authorize the use of suppressors on hunting firearms under certain circumstances; to provide for suspension of hunting privileges for persons who are convicted of hunting without landowner permission, hunting in an area that is closed to hunting, or hunting big game out of season or at night with a suppressor equipped firearm; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
There were no movies or television shows linking the devises to fictional figures in organized crime, nor was any other reason given for including the devices in the 1934 ban. The unintended consequences of hearing loss for tens of millions of shooters was not even considered. It wasn't until the 1960's that the effect of the exposure to momentary loud noises on hearing loss was well understood.
Inflation has reduced the real cost of the tax to near the cost of the mufflers, and the obvious safety and social utility of these devices is receiving more attention. In Europe, use of gun mufflers is encouraged as a polite way of not disturbing the peace and quiet of your neighbors morning when you dispatch a garden pest or engage in some target practice.
In Finland, gun mufflers for .22 caliber firearms sell over the counter for the equivalent of 50 dollars.
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch
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Photos of the cougar the girl shot and killed.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2568771/Girl-11-shoots-cougar-following-brother-14-home-making-THIRD-mountain-cat-killed-one-week.html
Ok, I've got a few things to say about this article..
ReplyDelete1 - Good move in the right direction for GA.
2 - Can we PLEASE stop comparing the US to European countries? Many of those same countries that are being held up on a pedestal for lax silencer laws are also countries that severely limit gun rights. Not much point in outlawing accessories for firearms when you have already severely limited the number of firearms held by civilians. It's just pointless. The point of the American Revolution was cutting our ties to Europe and creating our own country.
3 - Hearing loss? Seriously? Lets not bring that up. You can get a decent pair of ear plugs for 2 dollars. You can get an effective pair of disposable ear plugs at most, if not all, firearm ranges... many of which provide them for free. That's like buying a motorcycle and complaining that it's too loud. Or eating McDonalds all the time and complaining about weight gain. Common now...
Lets look at everything else Finland does...
A - you can not purchase a firearm without applying for and receiving an acquisition license.
B - You need a separate license for each and every individual firearm you intend to own.
C - Law requires all firearms to be locked up according to their governments guidelines - and you are subject to local police inspections.
D - ownership of 5 or more self loading firearms requires federally guided gun safes.
E - To obtain a firearm, you have to show a " valid reason", of which self-defense is NOT. To obtain this, you must provide evidence supporting your declared usage.
F - Subject to background check, of which citations for DUI, or even simple speeding can be grounds to reject the application for licensing.
G - While they consider the process to be "simple", the police actually have to agree with the firearm you intend to purchase! If you are new to firearms, they can require you to ONLY be allowed to purchase a .22, for example.
H - Your certification can be cancelled at any time, even if you just get cited for speeding.
I - Possessing a firearm without a license is a punishable offense, and should you do something as small as get a speeding ticket, you are subject to confiscation.
J - Gun laws were last changed in 1998. At that time flare guns became subject to licensing, and some types of ammunition were specified especially dangerous. Such ammunition requires a separate license.
So, FUCK FINLAND. We shouldn't compare the US to other countries without reviewing everything that country does in relation to the issue. Suppressors are unregulated due to their stringent gun control and issues of "noise pollution" for firearm ranges. It's a small country, and ranges can be shut down because of "noise pollution" if the noise happens to bother neighbors.
The only weapons permissible to be owned without regulation are Muzzle-loading black-powder firearms manufactured prior to 1890, but for firing them one must possess a firearms license.