The Tennessee State Legislators have a host of new gun laws on the table to coin a phrase from a former UT football announcer John Ward. Most of the state legislators are good public servants until it involves guns. All of a sudden a crazed mob mentality takes over. One of the dumbest gun laws is to make a silencer legal in Tennessee.
Currently, it is illegal to posses, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell a silencer under T.C.A. 39-17-1302. It is a Class E felony and carries a full range of punishment of 1 to 6 years. A firearm silencer is defined as any device designed, made, or adapted to muffle the report of a firearm. Tilman Goins from Morristown, TN. has proposed the “Tennessee Hearing Protection Act” which would legalize silencers. It appears that the ear protection gear they sell at Bass Pro Shops is insufficient to protect one’s hearing. We must have silencers legalized to protect our weapon toting friends hearing.
I get the hearing issue. When I go duck hunting , I wear ear protection. Making silencers legal is a different issue. Silencers are used for one thing only. Silencers are used to hide the sound of a firearm. what comes to mind first ? Police officer safety is my main concern. getting a call of a robbery or burglary in progress and they might have a silencer. C’mon man.
Can we have a little common sense about whether silencers should be illegal, Where are the law enforcement folks on this issue. I want a head count of who thinks this is a great law or are the legislators being pushed around by the NRA.