On Wednesday, Rep. Ben Kline (R-Va.) introduced a bill that would remove firearm suppressors from the scope of the National Firearms Act (NFA).
The law is HR 404, the Hearing Protection Act.
Currently, NFA rules require buyers to be fingerprinted, photographed and undergo an extensive background check in order to obtain a suppressor. The purchaser must then pay a $200 federal tax and the suppressor will be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). This is the same tedious process required when purchasing a machine gun, short-barreled rifle, and/or short-barreled shotgun.
Attention — Assault on 2A: AWR Hawkins exposes ATF director's ambiguity regarding gun sales thresholds:
Klein's bill would eliminate that process and the $200 tax by moving suppressors outside of NFA oversight.
Leftists have fought suppressor deregulation bills in the past by falsely claiming that suppressors are silencers that completely mask the sound of gunshots. During President Donald J. Trump's first term, House Speaker Paul Ryan fell prey to the left's false cries and shelved the Hearing Protection Act, which had a good chance of passing.
But Klein's bill comes amid a flurry of pro-gun control bills, all of which are intended to be on President Trump's desk for passage by January 20th.
Lawrence Keene, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), commented on Klein's Hearing Protection Act: This is unnecessary and not the wisest use of federal resources. NSSF thanks Congressman Klein for his leadership in ensuring the safe and responsible use of firearms and putting necessary resources where they are needed most. ”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and also writes Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment for Breitbart News. He is also a writer and curator. He is a political analyst for Armed American Radio, a member of Gun Owners of America, a professional staff member for Pulsar Night Vision, and global marketing director for Lone Star Hunts. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and holds a Ph.D. in military history. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. To get Down Range, you can sign up at breitbart.com/downrange. Contact him directly: awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
