Gun Rights Groups Express Support for Deregulating Suppressors as a growing coalition of advocacy organizations and lawmakers renew efforts to pass the Hearing Protection Act through federal legislation. This week, the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) led the charge, urging Congress to keep pro-suppressor language in the latest reconciliation bill being considered on Capitol Hill.
The push focuses on Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, which seeks to remove firearm suppressors—often inaccurately referred to as “silencers”—from the regulatory grip of the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA). Suppressors are legal in most states but remain heavily restricted under federal law, requiring buyers to undergo a lengthy application process, submit fingerprints and photographs, and pay a $200 tax.
The FPC emphasized that the suppressor tax and regulation scheme is not only unconstitutional but counterproductive to public safety. “The National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA) is an unconstitutional tax scheme that impeded the ability of all Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” read a letter from the organization, echoing an earlier May letter signed by nearly 40 pro-Second Amendment lawmakers.
The letter, written in coordination with the American Suppressor Association, called on members of Congress to honor the intent of the Hearing Protection Act and support the permanent deregulation of suppressors in the final version of the reconciliation bill. At its core, the initiative isn’t just about restoring firearms freedom—it’s about protecting the health and safety of shooters.
Suppressors Are a Public Health Tool, Say Experts
That Gun Rights Groups Express Support for Deregulating Suppressors isn’t just a political issue—it’s a medical and safety one as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated in no uncertain terms that suppressors are a critical tool in protecting hearing, especially in recreational shooting or instructional environments.
According to the CDC, the “only potentially effective noise control method to reduce students’ or instructors’ noise exposure from gunfire is through the use of noise suppressors that can be attached to the end of the gun barrel.” Despite this acknowledgment, federal policy continues to treat suppressors as dangerous accessories, rather than legitimate hearing protection devices.
The irony isn’t lost on gun rights advocates: while the government mandates hearing protection for workers in loud industries, it simultaneously makes it burdensome and expensive for Americans to access the most effective tool to reduce firearm noise.
Opponents of deregulation often point to fictional depictions of suppressors in Hollywood movies, where they’re portrayed as tools of assassins and criminals. In reality, suppressors do not make guns silent. They reduce the decibel level of gunfire to safer, but still loud, levels—roughly akin to a jackhammer or a rock concert. They’re common in hunting, target shooting, and training settings, and are widely used in European countries that have far stricter overall gun laws but far fewer restrictions on suppressors.
Advocacy, Legislation, and the Fight for Common-Sense Reform
That Gun Rights Groups Express Support for Deregulating Suppressors is yet another example of how organized efforts from advocacy groups like the FPC and the American Suppressor Association are paying dividends. These organizations act as the voice for millions of law-abiding Americans who simply want to exercise their rights without undue burden or delay.
Suppressor deregulation is part of a broader fight to restore common-sense gun rights policy in the United States. With suppressors already legal to own in 42 states, many Americans are baffled by the archaic and punitive federal hoops they must jump through to obtain one.
While the fate of the Hearing Protection Act remains in the hands of Congress, the continued momentum from advocacy groups and pro-Second Amendment lawmakers suggests real progress may be on the horizon. As more Americans become educated about the practical and safety benefits of suppressors, support continues to grow for a future where gun owners can protect their hearing without being treated like criminals.
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