Suppressors Aren’t Silent — But the Debate Sure Is Loud

Zion Patriot,

Why Removing Suppressors from the NFA Makes Sense (And Why the Anti-Gunners Still Don’t Get It)

If you’ve been following the buzz around H.R. 1 – the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill”, you’ve probably heard that it includes a long-overdue provision: removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA). Naturally, the usual suspects on the Left are losing their collective minds, peddling the same tired Hollywood myths that silencers turn gunfire into pffft-pffft assassinations like in a spy movie.

Let’s set the record straight — with facts, not fear.

🎬 Hollywood vs. Reality: The Suppressor Myth

Thanks to decades of misrepresentation in movies and TV, most Americans think a suppressed gun sounds like someone blowing into a paper towel tube. But in real life?

A suppressed 9mm handgun still rings in at 120–135 decibels. That’s still louder than a Black Cat or Ladyfinger firecracker (110-120db) and is about as loud as a backfire from a small engine or motorcycle — not exactly ninja-level stealth.

And that’s with subsonic ammo. Use supersonic rounds, and you’re still dealing with the crack of a bullet breaking the sound barrier, plus the mechanical noise of the action. Even with a top-tier suppressor, you’re not getting anywhere near “silent.”

For comparison, an unsuppressed 9mm typically measures 155–160 dB — well above the 130 dB that can cause permanent hearing damage and the 140 dB threshold of Pain according to the NIOSH and OSHA.

🧠 What Suppressors Actually Do

Suppressors:

  • Reduce muzzle blast, not the bullet’s velocity
  • Make firearms less damaging to hearing
  • Help shooters maintain situational awareness
  • Reduce noise pollution for nearby homes and communities
  • Do NOT make guns silent

You know what else is loud? A .308 AR-10 with a brake at an indoor range. Suppressors help keep the peace for everyone — shooters, instructors, even the guy working at the front desk trying to sell you targets.

🚫 But It’s About Safety… Right?

Anti-gun politicians love to frame their opposition as concern for public safety, but let’s be real: criminals already ignore gun laws, including the NFA. In fact, the use of suppressors in actual crimes is vanishingly rare. The ATF’s own data shows suppressors are almost never used in violent crimes.

This law punishes lawful gun owners—the ones who fill out Form 4s, pay $200 for a tax stamp, and (until recently) wait 6–12 months for approval to own what is essentially a muffler for a firearm.

🏛️ Why Removing Suppressors from the NFA Makes Sense

  1. They’re safety devices. Just like hearing protection on a job site.
  2. They’re legal in 42 states, yet federally restricted like machine guns.
  3. The tax stamp is arbitrary, outdated, and punishes the working class.
  4. Criminal use of suppressors is extremely rare — and when it does happen, like the recent tragic case in New York where a man used a 3D-printed homemade suppressor, it only underscores the futility of laws that restrict access for law-abiding citizens. That killer didn’t go through the ATF. He didn’t pay a tax stamp. He didn’t wait 9 months for approval. He made an illegal device in a basement and used it to commit murder — which was already illegal. Meanwhile, everyday citizens trying to protect their hearing are still paying $200 and waiting months for permission to own a muffler. The law failed to stop the criminal, but it succeeds in inconveniencing everyone else.
  5. Other countries (like Norway and New Zealand) encourage their use for hunting and shooting sports.

If the government is serious about reducing hearing damage and fostering responsible gun ownership, removing suppressors from the NFA is a no-brainer.

🔚 Final Shot

The fight over suppressors isn’t really about sound. It’s about control, ignorance, and narrative. The same politicians who don’t know the difference between semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons are out here pretending that a suppressed .22 LR is the next John Wick movie.

Let’s stop pretending Hollywood is a source of firearms education. And let’s stop treating suppressors like something reserved for spies and hitmen. It’s time to bring American gun laws into the real world — and it starts with common-sense reform like this.

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