I think this is a fantastic idea. Silencers (or more accurately suppressors) have a bad rap, mostly thanks to movies and TV that show them being used by all the bad guys out there and thanks to the misinformation leading people to believe they make a gunshot into a whisper. A suppressor takes a gunshot that will cause instant permanent hearing damage and turns it into something that is loud but not dangerously so (think the sound of a jackhammer) it reduces the amount of noise pollution and lets people shoot without cumbersome hearing protection. Imagine if we could have shooting ranges closer to town and if we didn’t have to choose between safety or actually being able to use one of our primary senses when hunting. I hope all states soon adopt this legislation. Good work Kansas!!

I'm fascinated by the way you guys have the most liberal gun laws, and the most ambulance chasing lawyers and yet are banned from protecting your hearing. Amazing!

SBW

So what your saying is that a group of friends (as long as one of them lives in Kansas and has a clean FBI record) can pool their money together and purchase a silencer, then utilize other Kansas laws to legally carry that rifle loaded and uncased in a vehicle and legally shoot from inside of it at a trophy deer, antelope, or elk (and tell the game warden you were shooting at a varmint).

Will the FBI background check cover wildlife violations.

The added ability of being quieter will sure make it easier for a poacher to cut the rack off a carcass in the field, and not worry about being caught.

Good job Kansas!!! Next year can you legalize hunting with IR night vision scope or a laser sight, because there a few people who want to use them when hunting raccoons???

Prairie dogs exist in a small portion of the state, but the new law will apply to all species statewide.

I know the majority who read this blog apply ethics and fair chase when hunting, but this law encourages neither of the two.

I guess it is still in the hands of the Kansas hunter now, who can contact their Governor and tell him to veto it unless they want it.

Suppressors are a good thing because you don't usually need ear protection. And their called suppressors not silencers cause they suppress to gunshot.

I agree with you that a silencer or a sound suppressor does not make a gun absolutely quiet. At least not a good suppressor, yet; but whose to say that overtime the market will demand a suppressor that creates extremely low decibels while maintaining bullet velocity. It is harder to repeal a law than create one.

If current technology can suppress a .22 cal to 115 decibels, is it impossible to say that future technology can suppress it 30 more decibels (equivalent to city traffic from inside your vehicle) or further.

I support a person or a group wanting a suppressor for shooting targets or home defense, more power to them. However, I just don't see any value to using a suppressor when hunting generally, unless it is a micro-niche such as prairie dogs. That's all.

perhaps you would like to do a post on the difference between supressors and silencers. there is a big difference.

well a 338 BR with silencer and long aerodynamic bullets should be perfect for hunting goose with rifles that are silenced. and so much more ;)
silenced u can get 3-4 at a time, normally they fly away after first shot and do not come back for a long while if ever.. helps the farmers. enough said :D

At my new job there is another teacher who is hunter from Scotland and about a week ago we got to talking about hunting. In his homeland suppressors are used to cut down on noise pollution and to not bother the neighbors. However hunting with a bow is illegal, because it’s considered to be animal cruelty to kill with anything other than a bullet.

Game Protector,

You are a little off the mark on several things here.

- A group of people can't collectively own a silencer(suppressor - whatever), and getting together to 'buy' one would IMO constitute a straw purchase. You can go the route of a living trust or a corporation, but I think the type of folks you are talking about is not that advanced, or even concerned about legality to start with. They are already illegal when they start poaching out of a vehicle. Chances are if they are that sort of character, they couldn't get through the NFA process to obtain one anyway.

- As long as a projectile is going supersonic after leaving the barrel, there is noise downrange and in the area. A silencer has no control over that part of a fired shot. It does however, control and cool the gases from the muzzle, thus reducing the report there. Even subsonic rounds fired makes some noise suppressed.

- I do see a value for silencers in hunting. I make my living playing music, selling instruments, and installing sound systems. Anything I can do to keep what hearing I have left I am 100% for. However as a GA resident it is illegal here to use one in the act of hunting.

Jamesti,

I have to confess - I am ignorant on the difference between a silencer and a suppressor. I know folks who are manufacturers of such devices and they use the terms pretty much interchangeably. I think 'silencer' is more in the legal definition and public know, thanks to Hollywood.

As for making noise, or not making noise while hunting, I guess it's OK for my bow to be near-silent while I'm shooting something, but not(?) when I am using my rifle. I think Hollywood has cast such a negative stigma on "silencers" as a tool fit only for assassins doing wet work, lots of folks have already made up their minds before they see the bigger picture.

Wow this turned into a great discussion. I have a question for anyone that might have experience. Do you have to do a lot of extra cleaning on a suppressor after several shots? I would think with all those baffles catching the gases you would have one heck of a mess before long.

what is next odorless shells. new completely smoke free. guns cause noise. get over it. another attempt to fix something that is not broken.

yuh, best.. suuureee. thats why u have 32 million illiterate people in the us and 2 million people occupy the jails at all times and u cant legally own silencers/supressors :P
:D:D:D
Not to mention that US is turning into a third world country again :P