Get a suppressor in 90 days or fewer!!!
That is the thinking behind Congressman Greg Steube (R-FL-17) new bill, “H.R. 6126 – the End the Normalized Delay of Suppressors (ENDS) Act.”
Introduced last month, the ENDS Act would cap suppressor transfer times at 90 days, meaning as long as the prospective purchaser wasn’t denied during the National Firearms Act (NFA) process, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) would have to automatically approve the transfer after 90 days.
No more insane wait times! Currently, some purchasers can wait up to 18 months before getting their can.
“I have personally experienced the unnecessary delay of a suppressor application and as a member of Congress, I have met with many Floridians who have also experienced similar delays,” said Congressman Steube in a press release. “A policy of delay, delay, delay is unacceptable and frankly violates the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners.”
The bill makes perfect sense and falls in line with existing law. Under the Brady Act, for example, there is a “default to proceed” provision that allows a licensed firearms dealer to complete a gun transfer if the FBI doesn’t complete the buyer’s background check within three business days.
ENDS Act would apply that same logic to suppressors because a right delayed is a right denied.
As many of you already know suppressors are regulated under the NFA, so one must pay a $200 transfer tax, submit fingerprints, photos and an application to the ATF, notify one’s Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO), and wait for the ATF to process the paperwork to obtain a suppressor.
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While that is a more involved process than buying a long gun or pistol, there is no reason it should take months and months to get a thumb’s up, says Knox Williams, the President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association (ASA).
“It’s 2020, not 1934. There is absolutely no reason it should ever take more than 90 days to buy a suppressor,” said Williams in a press release obtained by GunsAmerica.“Afterall, suppressors are an important safety device that the CDC, NIOSH, and National Hearing Conservation Association recommend as a tool to help mitigate preventable hearing damage.”
“What Rep. Steube has done is introduce a bill that would hold ATF accountable,” he continued. “No more variable wait times that consistently last over a year. We applaud Rep. Steube for his leadership on the matter, and look forward to working with him to help spread the message and push his legislation.”
Look, the ENDS Act isn’t the Hearing Protection Act (HPA), which would have totally removed suppressors from the NFA roster. But it’s the next best thing. If lawmakers aren’t willing to back HPA right now, then let’s push them to support the ENDS Act.
The ASA has an online form that you can fill out to “Tell your representative to support H.R. 6126.” It only takes a few seconds. Click HERE to get started (or click on the image below):
They should be Legal anyways. All they do is Protect your hearing not a weapon they cut the noise !
I saw the end of the Hearing Protection Act for one simple reason: When was the last time you saw ANY government official give up taking money from a Tax Payer’s pocket? $200 per pop wasn’t ever going to go away. If they can streamline the process, they might but they ain’t giving up the cold hard cash…..ever….
Just of all the taxes that person pays in a lifetime , sales tax, property taxes, income taxes , and you would think the government would have enough money , yet they still complain that we collect on ssi income and that we should give in and give that to the government also , my god where does it end .
More pious lip service from the usual suspects, which will be followed by NOTHING substantive.
This is why the GOP is so useless. If this were the Devilcrats, and it were something about making abortion more accessible, or any of their other pet issues, they would actually get something done, breaking arms, or attaching to other legislation until it got done.
The GOP makes me sick, and I am a conservative.
They’ll just start denying more applications.
If you want fast transfers, maybe ATF should be allowed computerized records and methods, faster and less errors. Ask NRA to agree.
Abolishing ATF and NFA would accomplish the same goal and at less cost to the government.
If you have a CC license you should pay tax then walk out door with your suppressor
I confident that AOC will co sponsor this bill along with Pelosi, who as speaker of the house will make it a priority on the house agenda.
Nancy Pelosi and AOC hates guns, what make you think that they will pass this bill? They will reject it
What makes you think you could recognize sarcasm???? 😉
This is good or better than what we have.but perfect would be classifying them as a accessory subject to no regulation. Doesn’t matter until we flush out the democraps and rinos it will never happen!
I like the way you think. Now, separate from this, in my humble opinion, to support any regulation on gun control, is still gun control.
I do not understand how anyone in DC can oppose the 2A in any capacity, and have armed security everywhere they go.
That is a “special kind of stupid” in my book.
Again, I applaud your reply, Sir. Especially, the necessary flush.
This is all about votes. He knows this has no chance of passing. It is just a tactic to say he’s doing something.
There is but two reasons one fails to get something. One is not asking, the other . . . . . . . . .
So, does anyone actually think that such a bill will pass THIS congress? LOL. While I support lessening the wait time, I would have still rather have seen the HPA pass when republicans actually had CONTROL of congress. But, we all (well, myself and others who were pragmatic at least) knew that it wouldn’t pass then either! The congressman is wasting his time right now, because as was said above, it will never make it out of committee with Pelosi as speaker. Maybe (hopefully) it will be a different situation come next January.
Better yet adopt the tactics of the left and attach the hearing protection act to the next Chinese flu relief bill.
Even as I am a Furloughed American, I laughed my @$$ off at your comment! -Thank you, kindly.
This still rings with a very strong hint of “the RIGHT thing to do.
Good answer, gooood answer. I like it!!!!
What’s good for the goose MUST be good for the gander…
I am with Mr. Smith, no matter how much tax I am willing to pay, how long I am prepared to wait and even if I have a letter from God Almighty, I cannot get a suppressor in my state.
Will never make it out of committee with this Congress
A step in the right direction at least. As it is now, there is NO maximum time limit.
You have already paid for the item AND the $200 tax stamp and then are at the whim of the government for processing time. Ridiculous.
Wonder how many actually get turned down?
And if you already own NFA items it should be MUCH quicker. They already have you on file and have already done a previous check.
And if you are current/former LEO or military or first responder…they have your prints and multiple checks already as well.Same for a lot of professions these days.
For most people, including myself, suppressors remain a toy. A very COOL toy, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay a $200 tax for the privilege of sticking a can on the end of a rifle.
Should be no wait time. No $200 fee. No background checks. Accessories…period.But…we know that won’t happen. So how about this?
If you already have an NFA item…they (mostly) already have your photo and fingerprints on file.
Maybe have a system where they do the photo and prints each time…electronically/digitally…collect the $200 for the stamp each time… but you get an encoded card good for say 5 years (like TSA precheck or Global Entry) with a photo and chip.No wait time.
Your prints go in the system and if you are arrested they get notification. If it is a serious/disqualifying offense they cancel your membership and possibly come to “borrow” your NFA gear until things are sorted out one way or another.
Imagine cars or motorcycles without mufflers/suppressors?
90 days is probably a compromise — if they are taking a long time now (up to 18 months) expecting them to trim down to 30 days is simply asking too much. We’re lucky they didn’t say 180 days!
As far as suppressors, there could be a limit on how much they can quiet a weapon. Even if non-NFA suppressors were limited to a 50% noise reduction it would help dramatically, and that should ease the general public’s fears (who think they are indeed “silent” due to Hollywood). The only suppressor I’ve seen that was really silent was on a modified .22 auto that had to be manually racked for every shot, and was using subsonic ammo. Useless for anything but target shooting (or assasinations at point blank range…).
suppressors are NOT a firearms they are accessories like sight or grip. should be in the same catorgy
Agreed…but we know they are probably not going to be reclassified any time soon.
90 days is much too much time to be forever the standard. 30 days should be the criteria. For those already permitted , a week should be sufficient. Taking it off the NFA list would be even better.It is all about control.
Too sensible…not the government way…
It’s not the “next best thing” to HPA. The real problem with access to suppressors is not the wait time but State laws that ban them to about a third of the U.S. population.
Agreed. State laws need to be preempted, and politicians that oppose that need to be removed and imprisoned. Until there is no longer asymmetric risk, nothing will get done.