Two Missouri lawmakers want to repeal a ban on firearm silencers like the one allegedly used in the hitman-style murder of a health insurance executive earlier this month in New York.
State Rep.-elect Mike Costlow, R-Dardenne Prairie, and state Sen. Nick Schroer, R-Defiance, introduced legislation that would stop the prosecution of the offense of possessing or selling a gun suppressor. The measure also would attempt to shield silencers made in Missouri from federal prosecution.
Costlow said the measure is designed to help prevent hearing loss among hunters and other gun enthusiasts.
“They are basically hearing protection,” Costlow said. “I have a lot of friends who have hearing troubles.”
The push to make silencers legal comes against the backdrop of alleged gunman Luigi Mangione apparently using the accessory when he killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a New York sidewalk.
Costlow said he hopes that event doesn’t torpedo his proposal.
“I can understand why optics would say it’s bad timing,” he said. “But it would have been the same outcome whether he used a suppressor or not.”
Silencers are cylinders screwed into the muzzle of a gun that dampen the noise of a round being fired.
They are legal in most states but are restricted under federal law dating to the 1930s. Buying a suppressor requires submitting fingerprints and a photograph, undergoing a background check and paying a $200 transfer tax.
The National Firearm Industry Trade Organization found that the number of silencers registered in the U.S. has jumped from 1.3 million in 2017 to more than 4.8 million in July 2024.
Advocates for gun control, including Everytown for Gun Safety, say putting silencers in the wrong hands could create serious public safety risks. Using proper ear protection is a better way to ensure hearing isn’t lost from the sound of gunfire.
“Silencers are not a ‘hearing protection’ issue,” the organization said.
Costlow said he hunts deer with a suppressor. He prefers that to wearing sound-deadening earmuffs because he likes to enjoy the sounds of nature.
He also said increased use could lower sound levels for people living or hiking near shooting ranges.
The potential fight over silencers is among a number of gun safety issues that could percolate in the General Assembly when the legislative session begins in January.
In the House, Republicans have filed a number of gun rights bills, including a measure that would ban banks from using credit card codes to determine if someone has purchased a firearm.
Other GOP-sponsored proposals include banning red flag laws that are designed to ensure people who are undergoing a mental health crisis do not have access to guns.
Democrats, who are in the minority in both chambers, have filed a number of gun control bills, including a ban on the sale of certain rifles to people younger than 21 and universal background checks for gun purchases.
According to the legislation, Schroer appears to acknowledge there could be legal questions over allowing the devices to be sold.
Rather than immediately go into effect if signed into law, the measure directs the state attorney general to ask a federal judge if the measure is constitutional before companies begin manufacturing suppressors.
Costlow said he’s not sure his proposal will advance in the upcoming session, which begins Jan. 8 and ends in mid-May.
“I’m putting forward the things I’m passionate about,” he said. “I’m a freshman, so I don’t expect too much to move.”
The legislation is House Bill 548 and Senate Bill 273.
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