On April 11, Brent Miller, Northeastern States Director for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) attended a demonstration for state legislators on the use of gun sound suppressors at the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, New Hampshire. This event was co-hosted by the American Silencer Association and the Sig Sauer Academy. At the event, nearly 20 New Hampshire legislators were able to fire a number of different suppressed firearms with both super-sonic and sub-sonic loads in various hunting and defense applications.
There are currently 39 states that allow for legal possession of suppressors, with 31 of these states permitting their use in a hunting capacity. In the states where they are legal, there is a high level of variability in the way that suppressors are regulated. Some states choose to allow for liberal usage in all types of hunting, some restrict them to the hunting of varmint and nuisance species only, and others ban their use for any type of hunting but do allow for lawful possession in non-hunting applications. In states where suppressor use is restricted, many of the arguments against their use stem from a lack of understanding of the technology. Events such as these are critical to educating our elected officials on the on the realities of suppressor technology and use, and serve to effectively dispel the myths perpetuated by Hollywood.
For more information on the New Hampshire Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, please contact CSF Northeastern States Director Brent Miller at brent@sportsmenslink.org.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
