Can You Still Hear A Suppressed Rifle From 500 Yards Away?

The answer to the title question is yes.

Rebel Silencers made an ad hoc video on the level of sound suppression on a suppressed rifle. It was done quickly and the production values are not pristine. The microphone picks up wind like nobody's business. That said, it does a good job of illustrating that a suppressor only lowers the db level and doesn't eliminate it.

Here was their setup. One guy shot an AR, both unsuppressed and suppressed, from a ridge about 500 yards away from the person listening. The guy listening was a shop machinist who probably didn't have the world's best hearing. He stood in the bed of a pickup, closed his eyes, and turned around many times so he didn't know if was facing or not facing the shooter. He was asked to in the direction of the heard shot. He did it both times with reasonable accuracy.

Is this a perfect test under controlled laboratory conditions? Absolutely not. Does it illustrate that you can both detect the sound and the direction of the suppressed gunfire? Absolutely yes.

Those who have an axe to grind against guns and/or the Hearing Protection Act will say this video proves nothing. I would disagree and say that it shows that the average untrained person can indeed detect suppressed gunfire and that any "shot detectors" would also be able to detect the direction of the gunfire.




You know your member of Congress is under pressure from the anti-gun, anti-suppressor forces to kill the SHARE Act in the wake the mass casualty event in Las Vegas. Now is the time to make your voice heard again and again in favor of passage of these bills.

GRNC On The Hearing Protection Act

Grass Roots North Carolina issued an alert this weekend urging people to contact the GOP members of the NC congressional delegation regarding the Hearing Protection Act and the SHARE Act.

I've urged readers to do the same in earlier posts. A little extra encouragement to the representatives is always welcome.

Silencers are great for protecting your hearing ...

... and reducing noise as a courtesy to those around you, but silence is never good when it comes to leading your representatives in DC ... In a potential leap forward for Second Amendment principles, the Hearing Protection Act of 2017, which would deregulate suppressors, is about to go the House floor for a vote and your representative needs to hear from you. Encourage GOP Representatives Below, see how you can easily email and phone your GOP United States Representative and tell him or her that now is the time to stand up for the Second Amendment. Actually, it’s always the time to stand up for the Second Amendment, but this bill certainly gives them the opportunity to go on record as pro-gun. This is where Second Amendment campaign rhetoric gets put to the test. Use the links, phone numbers and the copy/paste text provided below to contact your representative regarding this matter—if your representative is a Republican. If you don’t know who your representative is, CLICK HERE to find out—look for “Find Your Representative” at the upper-right portion of the page and plug in your zip code. You are free to phone some of the other representatives on the list as well. It can only help.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
EMAIL YOUR GOP REPRESENTATIVE IN WASHINGTON. Below, find links to the representatives’ respective online contact forms. PHONE YOUR GOP REPRESENTATIVE. Below, find the representatives’ phone numbers. Phone them, and use the ‘Phone Message’ text below to make clear your expectations as a North Carolina gun owner. If you don’t know who your representative is: CLICK HERE to find out. Look for “Find Your Representative” at the upper-right portion of the page and plug in your zip code. CONTACT INFORMATION George Holding (R-Raleigh): 919-782-4400, Contact Form Walter Jones Jr. (R-Farmville): 800-351-1697, Contact Form Virginia Foxx (R-Winston- Salem): 828-265-0240, Contact Form Mark Walker (R-Greensboro): 336-626-3060, Contact Form David Rouzer (R-Benson): 910-253-6111 Contact Form Richard Hudson (R-Concord): 704-786-1612, Contact Form Robert Pittenger (R-Charlotte): 704-362-1060 Contact Form Patrick McHenry (R-Cherryville): 828-327-6100, Contact Form Mark Meadows (R-Asheville): 828-693-5660, Contact Form Ted Budd (R-Advance): 336-998-1313, Contact Form
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Phone Message: Hello, I am calling today to express my support for the Hearing Protection Act of 2017. Passing this bill would be a much needed, great step forward for Second Amendment principles, and also a great opportunity for representatives like [REP NAME] to live up to the GOP’s pro-gun platform. Please tell the representative that he/she should be encouraging House leaders to move this bill to the floor, and I expect him/her to vote YES on this bill. I will be monitoring the representative’s actions on this matter through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina. Thank you very much. Copy/Paste Email Message: Suggested Subject (where applicable): “Vote YES on Hearing Protection of 2017” Dear Representative, I am writing to express my full support for the Hearing Protection Act of 2017. Passing this bill would be a much needed step forward for Second Amendment principles, and also a great opportunity for representatives like you to live up to the GOP’s pro-gun platform. As a constituent, and a gun owner, I expect you to encourage House leaders to move this bill to the floor, and when it’s up for a vote, I expect you to vote YES. I will be monitoring your actions on this matter through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina. Respectfully,

Giffords' Group Says Moderate Republicans Wavering On The SHARE Act

I received an email from Robin Lloyd of Americans for Responsible Solutions (sic) today. She lists herself as the Director of Government Affairs which I assume to mean head lobbyist. The email is below and I've highlighted sections. As many readers know, this group has had a real hard-on about the Hearing Protection Act since the beginning. The HPA was rolled into HR 3668 - the Sportsmen’s Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act or the “SHARE Act”. The House Committee on Natural Resources reported it out on Monday, September 18th.

John -

I wanted to write with a quick, but promising, update on the gun lobby’s efforts to pass legislation deregulating the sale of firearm silencers.

After last week’s committee hearing and vote, it looked like the vote on final passage before the entire House was going to happen before the end of the month.

But the grassroots pushback is working, and some moderate Republicans in the House are hesitant about voting on this as they consider their own re-election prospects.

Can you imagine what a sea change it would be for the future of the gun debate if the House of Representatives, with an overwhelming Republican majority, was afraid to vote on and pass this bill? It would totally and completely reshape the future of this debate. So we have to keep up the pressure:

Chip in $3 to help Gabby, Mark, and Americans for Responsible Solutions stop legislation that would deregulate the sale of firearm silencers from ever becoming law.

Gosh, John, it wasn’t long ago that the shoe was completely on the other foot — that the gun lobby’s allies used to try and force people who generally opposed commonsense solutions to reduce gun violence to take “tough, pro-gun” votes.

We are winning. The future is ours on this issue. But only if we all continue to make our voices heard.

All my best,

Robin Lloyd

Director of Government Affairs
Americans for Responsible Solutions

We are in a war for our firearm civil rights. We know it and they know it. Propaganda is part and parcel of war and the email above may just be that. Shocking as it may seem, gun prohibitionists have been known to lie and this well could be another of their big lies. They have been lying about suppressors since Day 1 so why should this be any different. Even the Washington Post awarded them 3 or 4 Pinocchios for their claims about suppressors.

It could also be just an effort to rally their base and bring in more dollars. There is nary an email from this group that doesn't ask for money.

Nonetheless, despite having a history of being lying b@$%@rds, they could actually be correct about some moderate Republicans (aka RINOs) wavering on this bill due to the pro-gun rights elements contained within it. While the bill is on the Union Calendar, that doesn't say when it is scheduled to be brought to the floor of the House for a vote. Thus, we need to keep calling our representatives and demand that they vote for this bill. If you are represented by a RINO, put it to them hard.

Find your representative here.

We also need to put pressure on the Republican leadership to stand firm and to bring the bill forward.

Contact Speaker Paul Ryan's office here and urge him to bring the bill forward.

Both sets of links will also give you phone numbers -- use them!

One final suggestion:  if you've bought a suppressor or filed a Form 1 since 2015, you will get your $200 back. You might hint to the congressional office that you are looking for a place to spend that money or even, cough, cough, donate it.

Infographic - Suppressors And Hearing Protection

Brownells, Inc. has posted an excellent infographic on their Facebook page. It shows things like the decibel level of a gun shot, the average decibel reduction by use of a suppressor, and the impact on hearing of shooting with only a suppressor. Given the nonsensical approach taken by media like the New York Times editorial page and the lies from anti-gun groups like American for Responsible Solutions, this is instructive.

While wearing hearing protection such as ear muffs and ear plugs is essential, the combination of a suppressor plus muffs or ear plugs is even better.

This goes to illustrate when the Hearing Protection Act is not an effort to spur sales for the gun industry but an effort to both reduce noise pollution and to promote public health. While the passage of the Hearing Protection Act would spur sales that is merely incidental in my opinion. As I wrote earlier this year, can you imagine waiting 272 days for government approval to use a product that improves health and safety? Could you imagine the fine OSHA would levy a business if it waited that long?

Is This The Best They Can Do?

Now that the Hearing Protection Act has been introduced in both the House and the Senate the wailing and gnashing of teeth is beginning to be heard from the gun prohibitionists. Just today I received the following in my email from the Space Cowboy aka Mr. Gabby Giffords aka Mark Kelly of the Americans for Responsible Solutions.

John - With Donald Trump set to take office in just three days, the gun lobby and their allies in Congress have set their sights on a pair of bills that will make our communities far less safe from gun violence. One of those bills would lift restrictions on the sale of firearm silencers. Now, I don’t want to give the impression that firearm silencers work like you see them in the movies — where someone fires a gun and it wouldn’t wake a person sleeping in the same room. But silencers do suppress sound and light when a weapon is discharged, and that makes them attractive accessories for criminals who want to conceal their crimes. Before Trump takes office, it’s important we lay down a marker on this issue. Add your name and tell Congress to REJECT any legislation that lifts restrictions on the sale of firearm silencers, action that will make it harder for law enforcement to do their job and make it easier for criminals to get away with crimes. The gun lobby will tell you that this legislation is designed to protect people’s hearing, but the truth is that it’s a massive financial giveaway to the corporations who manufacture and sell firearm silencers. The safety of our communities is more important than the manufacturers' bottom lines. Thank you for adding your name. Mark Kelly Americans for Responsible Solutions PAC

You want to say, "Really, Mark? Is this the best you can come up with?" A suppressor suppresses sound and light and thus make them attractive accessories for criminals. Flash suppressors for rifles are legal in most states and do not require any license, permit, fee, or registration.

The same could be said for common items like bed pillows, oil filters, 2-liter Coke bottles, and potatoes. All of these common items could be used by thugs, murderers, and criminals to muffle the sound of the firearm and possibly reduce its flash.

Having reported on hundreds of defensive gun uses on the Polite Society Podcast I have yet to come across mention of a criminal having a suppressor in his or her possession while committing an assault, robbery, home invasion, or murder. Indeed, more often than not, these miscreants use the loud sound of a firearm discharge to attempt to cow their victims. They aren't worried about the police because most times they anticipate being gone by the time the police arrive.

What Kelly is not saying is that treating silencers and suppressors like ordinary firearms still requires a NICS check as they are going to be transferred by FFLs. You would still have to fill out a Form 4473 and felons, drug abusers, those convicted of domestic violence, etc. would still be prohibited from purchasing and possessing a suppressor. While I might want a suppressor to be sold like replacement mufflers for a lawnmower at Ace Hardware, these bills are a good first step in an effort to reduce noise pollution and protect the hearing of hunters and shooters.