“If mufflers were allowed in Massachusetts, I wouldn`t feel as safe walking in the woods for fear of accidentally hurting myself,” Kneedler said. Supporters of the ban say silencers will endanger public safety by making it harder to track the provenance of shots. Today, Massachusetts is one of eight states that prohibit private ownership of silencers. But a bill considered by the state legislature would change that and lift the ban. A silencer is an instrument that attaches to a weapon and is intended to silence the firing of the weapon or to reduce or muffle the sound of the weapon`s firing. Suppressors are commonly used by hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Americans who know and appreciate the many benefits of reducing harmful decibel levels. Unfortunately for Massachusetts citizens, under current law, they can be sentenced to 10 years in prison or up to 2.5 years in prison for possession of an oppressor. House Bill 1570 would completely change that and make Massachusetts No. 43, where oppressors are legal. A weapon for the purposes of this crime is any firearm, weapon, revolver or pistol. This prohibition under Massachsuett criminal law applies to items specifically made as silencers or modifications to a firearm to silence the weapon. He cited statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives showing that silencers are rarely used in crime.
The technology used by police to detect gunshots can still work when a gun is silenced. “I don`t understand why there is a reasonable and rational argument for the silent,” said Edward Notis-McConarty, chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. “They will increase the violence, increase the number of deaths.” Help us bring Massachusetts closer to the 43rd state to legalize oppressors. Please contact the members of the Joint Judicial Commission using the form below and politely ask them to vote for H. 1570. House Bill 1570, introduced by Rep. Paul Frost, would legalize civil property and the use of oppressors for legal purposes in Massachusetts. Gun suppressors, also known as “silencers,” are currently illegal under Massachusetts state law, although they are legal under federal law and legal to possess in 42 of the 50 states. Pavica Kneedler, from Ipswich, said she and her family members all know how to shoot, but they use hearing protection. They don`t need silencers to protect their hearing. When walking in the forest during hunting season, they wear light-colored clothing and keep their ears tuned for gunshots. Oppressors are currently legal in 42 states, 40 of which allow their use during hunting.
The ban on gun suppressors in Massachusetts is based on the misconception that mufflers can make the sound of a gunshot silent or inaudible. This could hardly be further from the truth, as even the slightest shot suppressed is as loud as a jackhammer hitting concrete. Oppressors are not a danger to society; Rather, it is an effective tool that can help protect hearing. But Knox Williams, executive director of the American Suppressor Association, which represents the suppressor industry, said opposition to silencers was based on misunderstandings. Williams said silencers don`t make guns silent, but only reduce sound. A gun with a silencer is always as noisy as a jackhammer. “It`s no different than a muffler on a car,” Williams said. Rep.
David Linsky, D-Natick, a former prosecutor, called silencers “inherently dangerous devices.” The silencers, Linsky said, can confuse police, allow attacks to cause more bloodshed and help shooters avoid arrest. Linsky said survivors of mass shootings usually escape because they can hear the gunshots. John Rosenthal, founder of Stop Handgun Violence, said legalizing silencers “would allow people to get away with murder undetected.” Until the passage of the National Firearms Act, mufflers were legal throughout the United States for regular purchase. In addition to short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns, there were also silencers on the cutting block in 1934. The NFA has added registration and a property tax to these items. Predictably, the law did little to stop crime, and the only impact it had was law-abiding citizens. “The deregulation of silencers or assault weapons by the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security is like the FDA commissioner saying we should deregulate arsenic,” Rosenthal said. Silencers may not be used, possessed, or sold by persons in Massachusetts unless expressly permitted by law.
Mufflers, also known as silencers, are devices that dampen the sound of a shot. The American Suppressor Association has published oral and written evidence in support of Senator Rogers` bills. Click on the button below to view the ASA`s full written testimony. Massachusetts residents have long been subject to strict gun control laws, often among the most restrictive in the country. Unfortunately, a new bill would only make things worse. “Lifting the ban on oppressors can claim more victims,” Linsky said. But wait, there`s more! House Bill 4038 would also amend and expand the definition of “wide-body weapons.” It adds the following wording: “”High-capacity weapon” means any firearm, rifle or shotgun: (i) that is semi-automatic and has a fixed high-capacity supply device; (ii) is semi-automatic and capable of easily accommodating or modifying any large capacity removable power device; (iii) that uses a rotating cylinder that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition in a rifle or firearm and more than five shotguns in the case of a shotgun or firearm; or (iv) rifles or shotguns with a semi-automatic mechanism. House Bill 4038 was introduced by MP David Linksy and would redefine the state`s definition of so-called “assault weapons.” However, it should be noted that their definition is already one of the broadest ever recorded.