*shhhhhhhhhh* WA State Suppressor Bill passes BOTH Houses !!!

[A4sForever]

Friends & neighbors and those who give a rip: HB 1016 has passed both branches of the Washington state legislature and now goes to Governor Queen Christine for what is assumed (I never like 'assuming') to be a 'NO-VETO' signing of the bill, as the majorities were overwhelming.

CHANGING RESTRICTIONS ON FIREARMS NOISE SUPPRESSORS

Strange, indeed, having lobbied all these years for similar bills that never made it out of committee in either the House or the Senate. And this is one of the most P.C. states goin' ... at least it's completely P.C. along the I-5 corridor which basically controls statewide races & issues.

The Federal laws & requirements will remain the same ... but if the bill passes muster w/ the Governor, one will be able to LEGALLY own ... AND USE (!!) ... a firearms noise suppressor in the used-to-be-great-state of Washington. For the past 25 or so years, you could OWN one ... you just couldn't USE IT.

Go figure ...

*shhhhhhhhhh*

 

[gaijin6423]

Good news--provided the Governor signs--indeed.

There seems to be a slew of positive (in my eyes) firearm legislation being bandied about lately. The WA bill, constitutional carry in multiple states, carry reform in FL, and carry/Castle Doctrine reform here in NC, to name a few. I suppose it's far too much to hope that rational thought is driving these, but I'll take what I can get.

 

[AllAmerican75]

Good news--provided the Governor signs--indeed.

There seems to be a slew of positive (in my eyes) firearm legislation being bandied about lately. The WA bill, constitutional carry in multiple states, carry reform in FL, and carry/Castle Doctrine reform here in NC, to name a few. I suppose it's far too much to hope that rational thought is driving these, but I'll take what I can get.

Speaking of NC, have you heard anything else about that? The last I had heard was that legislation was being proposed but I have no idea whether it's been shot down or not.

 

[gaijin6423]

There were some douche nozzles--the same ones that had pro-gun emailers' addresses categorized as spam, likely so they wouldn't have to actually listen to their constituents--trying to kill or amend it to the point of being useless, and they succeeded in stalling it a bit. Still, there was supposed to be a no shit vote on the bill in question (HB 111 if you want to look it up on the state legislature's website) this week or next, depending on how the schedule panned out. I'd be later, rather than sooner, though. There's a thread over on thehighroad.org about it if you want the gory details on who sponsored the bill, who supports/dislikes it, and the path it's undergone already. If I can find the link, I'll edit it into this post, but you can just search over there if you want. Gouranga, a member there and apparently quite involved with GRNC, posted the thread and the updates in it.

I think at last count HB 111 still included language to permit CCW in restaurants (CCW individuals must not be drinking while carrying), state and municipal parks, and some places where admission is charged for entrance, and prohibited civil suits against individuals who justifiably defended themselves. Time will tell, however, how much of that transfers to the final product, and even if what's-her-name in the governor's office signs it.

 

[gaijin6423]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=581518 --A bill introduced to repeal the purchase permit requirement in NC. No clue where that one went, but I doubt it went well.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=573036 --This is the one about the Castle Doctrine. Looks like SB 74, vice HB 111, is the furthest along in Raleigh right now, but these types of bills have died in the NC House in the past. Contact information available in the thread for your representatives and senators if you so desire.

 

[A4sForever]

The Washington suppressor bill was included in a 'cop bill' ... thus the near unanimous votes, including some legislators who think you're a psycho if you even own a firearm.

I guess that's the way to get things done.

 

[gaijin6423]

I have to wonder how many of them actually read what they voted on. I am continually astounded by how infrequently this actually happens, but I'm not surprised.

What are the details on suppressor ownership in WA? Most here locally go the trust route, based on how terrified of people owning guns their CLEO is, but there are...ambiguities in the NC code WRT trusts and NFA items. Is WA any better, or is a living trust 'the' method there as well? I'm just curious.

 

[A4sForever]

....Supressor ownership in WA? Most here locally go the trust route, based on how terrified of people owning guns their CLEO is, but there are...ambiguities in the NC code WRT trusts and NFA items. Is WA any better, or is a living trust 'the' method there as well? I'm just curious.

I don't know 'bout "better", but most people I know go the 'living trust' route ... it's much easier and eliminates a 'local chop' in the process. I keep all my paperwork in a 3-ring binder and it's a piece of cake to maintain -- individual tax stamps, the Trust, copies, Schedule A, etc. If you want to possess a suppressor in some urban jurisdictions in Western Washington, good luck getting hassle-free 'approval' w/ some local LEO appointees who dance to the tune of their anti-gun masters ...

With the 'trust', you bypass those bureaucratic assholes and any potential local denials.

Suppressors were 100% legal in Washington state until it was decided some time ago that they contributed to 'poaching' by muffling the sound of a firearm's discharge. That same rationale has been used for quite a while to prohibit carrying a loaded long gun in a vehicle, but it's O.K. to carry a loaded (concealed or open) handgun if you have a CCW. Full auto's and SBR/SBS were also legal to own @ 25-30 years ago -- and use -- then some politicians who watched too much TV/Hollywood decided those configurations only appealed to the criminal element and assassins. So they banned further possession of them ... because the criminals will follow the law, yea-as???

As it stands now, you can own a Fed-legal sound suppressor in Washington state and even mount it on a firearm -- but if you shoot the firearm with the suppressor attached -- you're guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

Since I've turned most of mine into very nice bud vases, when the Governor signs this bill to recover a small portion of sanity in gun laws in WA state (*holding breath*), I suppose I'll have to clean the potting soil out of them so they can be used for their intended purpose.

 

[gaijin6423]

Things must have been getting really bad for the trustworthy politicians to step in and make things safer for people there. Was it the gangland style hits on baristas from rival coffee shops, or was it a more general conflict between the coffee and head shops spilling into the streets? Oh, the horror...

Suppressors and FA are doable here in NC, provided you don't have to deal with any of the jackwagon county sheriffs here, but FA is a bit more difficult to get even the decent ones to sign off on. And I believe there is a CLEO requirement for FA in NC, regardless of trust use. A group of friends/like-minded individuals and I were throwing around the idea of starting a range and training complex here, and I had an informal conversation with my CLEO, who is generally really supportive of firearm ownership and an okay guy. His observation was that, while he would personally be quite supportive of something like we were considering, the problem would probably be finding enough acreage in the county to prevent encroachment by development. When I brought up suppressors, SBRs, FA, and AOWs, he paused for a second, then said, "Yeah, that would make sense with what you guys want to do." Granted, this was an informal, what-if kind of conversation, but he was pretty supportive.

Now, take jackass who runs the county inclusive of Camp Lejeune and Jacksonville... Well, let's just say that I'm surprised there hasn't been a Rico inditement already. If you're in the good ol' boy network and he knows you personally, you might get a signature. Might. Consequently, lots and lots of people go the trust route down there.

I have heard some rumors about BATFE considering changing the CLEO sign off to simply a CLEO notification. A few see this as progress, but I think I'm in the tinfoil hat wearers' corner on this one. BATFE doesn't like trusts, specifically because it's a separate legal entity than an individual. And if there are probable increased legal issues involved in prosecuting and confiscating from a trust, vice just an individual.

 

[phrogdriver]

This isn't a criticism, just an RFI. Why would you need a noise suppressor? Sick of earmuffs?

The range noise thing makes sense, but are there really any "silencer only" ranges near urban areas?

 

[gaijin6423]

In some ways, it's a much more considerate and ear-safe way of hunting. There are places, as A4s has mentioned before, where it is considered extremely bad form to hunt WITHOUT a suppressor. Although I currently don't own any, I used to do pest control on my father's family farm outside of Austin. Armadillos*, some feral cats, crows, etc, were all fair game, and I used to get a quarter each, my issued rifle was a suppressed .22, which let me schwack multiple critters before they realized what had happened. Also, they're pretty nice when added onto an SBR that sounds like a freaking cannon going off, especially indoors. A lot of friends use them on their work guns and need to train with them in between security contracts.

Then there is the "SHTF/TEOTWAWKI" type mindset, where possessing something like that would be quite beneficial.

IMO--and that of many others--we're going down the wrong path if we're being told what we need/don't need by the gob'ment WRT something that, although potentially scary to the uninitiated, really comes down to the intelligent pursuit of something. But at the forefront of quite a few people's minds is the fact that it's legal to own, so why shouldn't I? Rights, whether property, 2nd Amendment, 1st Amendment, or otherwise, do tend to slip into marginality and fall by the wayside altogether if not exercised. If few enough people exercise the right to purchase, own and use things like suppressors, what's to stop an elected or appointed official from just writing that off under the guise of, "Well, no one wants them anyway..."

ETA: Sorry if I sound like the NRA Poster Boy, but I tend to wax philosophic about the political side of these things. Especially since I'm officially a Kept Man of Leisure.

 

[A4sForever]

Well, whatta' you know ??? SHE signed it yesterday -- *** don't tell anyone *** -- ESPECIALLY all the dinks in I-5 Latte-Land who shall remain, for all intents & purposes, clueless ...

I went to college w/ the Guv ... met her when she was 'rushing' a sorority or two during functions ... she had thick ankles.

I always find it 'interesting' how two people see the same thing, but come up w/ a totally different perspective (witness two current pix below):

** shhhhhh ** ... NOW ... for SBR/SBS before 'they' wake up ...

 

[gaijin6423]

I had read about the signing yesterday, and was wondering if A4s was going to post about it. I'd figured he was out squeezing limes in celebration, and would get to it eventually.

 

[A4sForever]

I had read about the signing yesterday, and was wondering if A4s was going to post about it. I'd figured he was out squeezing limes in celebration, and would get to it eventually.

I WAS squeezing limes ... w/ my suppressors that have 'come out of the closet' ...

 

[Herc_Dude]

Thanks for keeping us native Washingtonians in the know A4s. There is a lot about the great Northwest that makes sense, but usually not the politics of the Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia/Vancouver/Portland masses ... it's refreshing.

I had a nice little suppressor for my .22 during my college years ... of course you wouldn't find this one in any store. The damn thing held up through 500+ rds and many plinking trips through the rainy woods.