Missouri Rep-elect Mike Costlow (R) wants to loosen the state’s ban on silencers to protect hunters’ and firearm enthusiasts’ hearing. Costlow claims “...restricting those puts people at risk,” by exposing them to excessive sound levels.
I’m a gun owner and on those rare occasions when I shoot, I wear hearing protection. Perhaps I’m naïve but it seems as if anyone concerned about loud noises from firearms could do the same.
It’s worth noting that United HealthCare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione used such a device to facilitate a murder. A silencer might conceivably be well and good in a rural setting but some of us live in cities, and folks who use silencers in those situations aren’t doing it to protect their hearing.
Frankly, I suspect Costlow is well aware of the potential for abuse but is making a calculated appeal to his rural base. As long as the problems only affect city folks, he might not think it matters.
(See: www.firstalert4.com/...)