texas considering 'sound suppressors' on hunting rifles

[grove rat]

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Texas-considering-sound-suppressors-on-hunting-rifles-142577465.html

DALLAS - A quarter century of hunting big game has taken its toll on Brad Cooksey.

"I know from 25 years of using guns, I have a constant ringing in my ears right now," he said.

He has hunted across the country, and even as far away as inside the Arctic Circle in Alaska.

Cooksey said he has no plans of giving up the sport, because wild game is all his family eats.

"I have not bought any red meat at the store in two years," said Lisa Cooksey, Brad's wife. "We eat all wild game."

That's why Cooksey supports a proposal by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to permit sound suppressors on the end of rifles.

The devices look like silencers, but act more like mufflers on a car.

"It would cut the sound down and make it where people wouldn't jump as they're pulling the trigger," Cooksey said.

News 8 took a noise meter to a gun range to measure the sound of a rifle firing.

The AR-15 used for the experiment recorded 110 decibels when fired without the suppressor. That's about the same noise level as a siren on a fire engine.

When a suppressor was added to the end of the rifle barrel at the indoor gun range, the noise meter recorded a level of 105 decibels.

Experts said that's because the test happened inside a room allowing the noise to echo. If the experiment were conducted outside, experts explained, the suppressor is supposed to make the weapon considerably quieter - similar to that of a firecracker.

But the state proposal has put safety in the crosshairs.

"This is not a gun control issue," said Jeff Hightower, a Dallas attorney who has represented victims of hunting accidents.

Suppressors are unnecessary and unsafe, he added.

"If you can't hear other hunters and don't know they are on property, near your hunting area, you certainly have greater risk of a hunting accident," Hightower said.

State game wardens have even expressed concern that sound suppressors on rifles could increase poaching.

Still, most expect the state to approve the devices at the end of the month, which is a decision Cooksey believes will only help hunters preserve their hearing.

[grove rat]

hopefully this is not a repost, my bad if so. also added a poll to see what you guys think. i personally am for it since i only hunt on private land

[4bangen]

If it’s still as loud as a fire cracker, I don't see it as a safety issue, though I wouldn't want them to make them mandatory. Let the hunter decide.

[Nash B.]

The devices look like silencers, but act more like mufflers on a car.

I'm so confused.

[dee]

The attorney they quoted is a dumbass that represents people who obviously shouldn't be handling weapons if they are the type that apparently shoot without knowing their surroundings.

[Chopped54]

Sounds like neither the attny nor the game wardens are familiar with suppressors.
And to think that owning a suppressor would turn a law abiding citizen capable of passing the background check for a NFA item into a criminal poacher is just fucking retarded.

And if/when it passes I will get a 7.62 supressor to hunt with.

[Pewter Y2K Z28]

I have no issue with it.

[Dacotua]

The only reason I DO NOT want suppressors to be legal in hunting is the NFA Division of the ATF has said it could double the approval process from 6 months to over a year.

Now if the ATF hired a lot of reviewers and cut down the process time, I would be ok with it.

I just dont want to wait over a year for a machinegun because of a bunch of suppressors

[CJ]

The only reason I DO NOT want suppressors to be legal in hunting is the NFA Division of the ATF has said it could double the approval process from 6 months to over a year.

Now if the ATF hired a lot of reviewers and cut down the process time, I would be ok with it.

I just dont want to wait over a year for a machinegun because of a bunch of suppressors

Hopefully it would result in the time getting cut down. Texas is already the biggest NFA state, almost as many NFA items as the rest of the country combined.

[Lason]

Im all for anything that would make NFA items more mainstream and introduce them to the public as a saftey item rather than a "silencer" used to kill people in the middle of the night or some other dumbass stigmata.

[bulldog896]

There are so many inaccuracies in that I don't know where to start but what do you expect it's in the news

[dee]

Very true it was opened for public comments on the TOES website about a month ago.

[Downs]

Let see

Poachers already use suppressors. They don't care about the law already so why care about using a suppressor. The whole poaching thing brought up by the Game Wardens should be considered a dead point as it's not relevant.

We're using firearms to hunt animals. I don't think using suppressors makes it any less sporting. In-fact if you want to be "sporting" go hand to hand with a whitetail while using a rock or knife. Now that would be sporting..........and entertaining.

[CJ]

Let see

Poachers already use suppressors. They don't care about the law already so why care about using a suppressor. The whole poaching thing brought up by the Game Wardens should be considered a dead point as it's not relevant.

We're using firearms to hunt animals. I don't think using suppressors makes it any less sporting. In-fact if you want to be "sporting" go hand to hand with a whitetail while using a rock or knife. Now that would be sporting..........and entertaining.

bare hands, naked. Carnal.

[bigshoe]

Let see

Poachers already use suppressors. They don't care about the law already so why care about using a suppressor. The whole poaching thing brought up by the Game Wardens should be considered a dead point as it's not relevant.

We're using firearms to hunt animals. I don't think using suppressors makes it any less sporting. In-fact if you want to be "sporting" go hand to hand with a whitetail while using a rock or knife. Now that would be sporting..........and entertaining.

I know a few guys that hunt pigs with KNIVES! Fucking nuts