New Texas Suppressor Bill Signed by Gov. Abbott

[Glenn Tullius]

God Bless "made in Texas"!! I am always amazed at the comments I get with my "legal" suppressor at the local range..."they are louder than I thought they would be". I once heard a European hunter say how "barbaric you are" on the laws against suppressors.

 

[Cowboyblaster]

We need your governors to come on up here to Canada and beat some sense into our premieres and prime Minister. We have always had to register any handgun and have restricted weapon certification no open or concealed carry permit for anyone other than enforcement or prospectors and certainly no suppressors or silencers. Permit to take to the gun range and back to the gun safe and good luck if your caught traveling anything but the most direct route to the range or back home. We are no longer alowed almost any semi auto rifle or shotguns i mean right down to a 10 22 things are alot stupid up here since Castro's son was voted in as prime Minister. You all make me very jealous

 

[Sid Post]

This all sounds good until you realize IF ATF ENFORCES NFA LAW, you are going to jail for a long time and are losing your firearms for LIFE.

With the current political climate at the national level, do you really expect firearms law enforcement to follow the example of Marijuana or Immigration? Suppressors aren't favored by a lot of shooters much less by politicians at large and by larger society.

Just because a few gun buddies think it is a good idea does not mean society at large will agree. $200 for an NFA stamp won't begin to scratch the surface of costs if you become the Texas test case for the ATF.

 

[D$tring]

And, once you have already cleared the process, buying another one should take days to weeks not months to years. It's really about people control and the ATF trying to discourage people from owning them.
My favored approach would be to just buy them OTC at will, but since government agencies don't give up power or disappear altogether once they are created. So, the common sense approach would be a suppressor license, that once cleared, would allow a person to buy and possess immediately. Simple, efficient, and far too logical for politicians to get behind it.

 

[1mechanic]

Isn't a suppressor a requirement in other countries for hearing and noise pollution. Here in America the land of the free we have to pay for our rights to do something sensible. Mainly because of the movie industry making it like it's totally silent and the uninformed idiots running things believing it. Oh and good luck getting things changed on a federal level since they're getting money for a stamp to tax our rights. They rarely cut a tax.

 

[SSG Graybush]

Being from Texas I have been following this a little. From what I have heard, which that and $2 get you a small coffee at some places, Texas lawmakers looked at the other states and made their legislation to avoid what had been knocked down. The real test is when it goes to courts and the legal gnu's get done with it. Of course it could be moot before then unless it gets settled in less than 10 years. As you can tell, I am a little sarcastic, a little old, and just plain tourqed about all the bovine fecal matter that's been sprayed on this. Just say'in and of course, thanks for play'in!!

Tried to edit, had to work, dang!

Ok, the way the law is written says an "analyst/expert" (Yeah I know!) it will allow and I think requires/requests the Texas Attorney General to test it in the courts ahead of anyone getting charged by the feds. So let's see. I read that they are trying to base it off the same reasoning some states get away wih legalizing weed when its going against federal law. So one "analyst" says. Your Mileage May Vary!!

Funny you bring up weed. I never understood how can the Federal government make money off Marijuana in the from of taxes from states that sell it and not be in violation of RICO laws? They are profiting from illegal sales according to federal law.
Federals do what they want. For now.
WV just pasted law prohibiting any state LE to assist Federal agents in enforcing weapon enforcement unless it concurs with state law.

West Virginia House Passes Bill Preventing State Assistance In Enforcing Federal Gun Laws - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

The West Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill that would prevent state and local agencies and officials from assisting with the enforcement of

www.wvpublic.org

 

[cohunt]

It's not that simple. I think it has to be approved by ATF and have serial number on it and registered.

Well, if this texas law says that they don't need to worry about the nfa laws then you should be able to make your own if you live in Texas--"texas made" right?

I can make my own on a federal level-- yes you assign your own serial number, manufacture name, city, and caliber and you pay for the stamp/registration

 

[PNWdude67]

I don't think that will exempt us from federal law and I'm not going to be the test case. I seem to recall this was done in other states, anyone recall how it turned out?

Well apparently all the pot smokers are "finding out" nothing is going to happen to them in the states legalizing pot. Not into that crap, but it is interesting. Now it appears the feds may legalize. This is where it needs to start at the state level. The federal gov gives states a wide berth.

 

[5.56×250]

I dunno. I think there's a whole lotta wishin'and hopin' in state laws that attempt to override federal laws. Funny how some governors want to thumb their noses at the federal government, but it's al "oh hell no" when cities thumb their noses at state government. They can't have it both ways.

Im pretty sure that state government has presidenc over city or county gov, but the 10th ammendment to the Constitution gives State gov presidenc over the Fed .

 

[ddman]

You guys that have suppressors don't have your class 3 licenses?

 

[Revolting Peasant]

The new made in Texas suppressor law is mostly symbolic, but could open legal doors in the future if enough other states join in and a suppressor friendly administration ever got elected. You really don't want to be a legal test case.

Some of the states appear to be passing these types of firearms and suppressor laws in case there is a significant legal challenge to the federal government's ability to regulate interstate commerce. Interstate commerce clause is the excuse used by the government to constitutionally meddle with EVERYTHING. Sooner or later there will be a Supreme Court decision on federal overreach on interstate commerce and a new line could be drawn. Just prep steps for a state's rights legal battle.

 

[WahooYahoo]

It's not that simple. I think it has to be approved by ATF and have serial number on it and registered.

If it is stamped made in Texas, and you and the suppressor are in Texas, you have the protections of the Texas law. The suppressor is illegally held outside of Texas or if it is manufactured outside of Texas.
if anyone tries to buy one of these from an FFL, expect to go through the NFA process. No one is going to give up their FFL for the sale of a suppressor, and I suspect the feds will pull an FFL for violations but you can manufacture your own, buy a kit or buy from a Texas manufacturer of suppressors as long as all parties are in Texas and it is stamped "Made in Texas"

 

[foul bore]

I'm proud to be a Texan. I hope this is real, without a hitch. I do believe that a person needs to qualify their shooting skills and safety proceedures before having the right to carry. I have a LTC and when I took the course not all passed, and they should not have, dangerous!

 

[Idgunner]

So did Idaho! Not sure how it has played out. Nobody I know wants to be the guinea pig, since it is a mandatory felony if convicted.

Paul

If a state LEO finds you with a suppressor nothing happens. If a fed finds you with one and no tax stamp you get cited and arrested. I can ask a gunsmith friend to see if those cases are being prosecuted in Fed court. My guess is they are.

UPDATE. A man in Blackfoot Idaho drew attention to himself by making and selling suppressors to Idahoans. The feds found out and claimed that some of those suppressors made their way across state lines, he was charged. The Fed prosecutor declined to prosecute and dropped the case. His boss said "NO, you will prosecute" so the man has been re-charged and cited into fed court. That case is still pending.

A similar thing happened in Kansas and that case was headed to the Supreme Court but Pres Trump made his comment that "no one needs a suppressor" so the SCOTUS declined to hear the case.

As has been noted previously, buy the stamp. The Feds don't play well and a friend of mine whose spouse works in the fed court system says that "if you get cited into Fed court you are screwed."

Until this makes it to the Supreme Court or the ATF does an about face and recognizes states rights we need to play by their rules.