On February 16, CSF co-hosted and attended the Northeastern Regional Suppressor Demonstration, sponsored and organized by the American Suppressor Association. Fifty legislators from the New Hampshire Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, as well as the Vermont Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus attended the demonstration, and were afforded the opportunity to learn first-hand how firearm suppressors operate, and how strikingly different they are from how they are portrayed on television and in movies.
“For most people, their only exposure to suppressors is through Hollywood. While silent on the screen, in reality they are not. With the help of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the legislative demonstration at the Granite State Indoor Range was a huge success,” said Knox Williams, President of the American Suppressor Association. “Together, we were able to educate more than 50 legislators from the New Hampshire and Vermont Sportsmen’s Caucuses on the realities of suppressors.
As noted by Williams, contrary to popular belief, suppressors do not silence firearms, but rather drop their sound signature down to hearing safe levels (roughly the same decibel reduction as a pair of high quality earmuffs). Realistically suppressors are a useful tool with multiple positive applications. The use of firearm suppressors, both at the range, and for hunting, provides benefits including: hearing protection, reduced recoil and muzzle rise resulting in increased shooter confidence and thereby allowing for more consistent and accurate shots, improved relations for hunters and recreational shooters with the general public, and the potential recruitment and retention of new hunters and shooting sports participants.
CSF would like to thank the American Suppressor Association for their leadership in this event, and the Granite State Indoor Range in Hudson, NH for hosting.
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?
