Suppressors made legal in WA State.
examiner.com
Gov. Christine Gregoire today signed legislation that will allow Washington residents to not only own suppressors but now be able to actually use them.
Henceforth, it will be legal for residents who obtain the necessary paperwork and pay the federal tax – that is, comply with applicable federal law – to take their legally-owned suppressors to indoor and outdoor gun ranges and actually use them. This may also reduce problems in the outdoors, where many traditional shooting areas that are not developed ranges have been closed due to complaints primarily based on noise.
It has been legal to own suppressors and even have them mounted on firearms for display purposes in this state for sometime. People just couldn’t shoot with them.
This column wrote about the legislation here earlier this year, and again here, about two weeks ago.
The legislation passed largely because it had the support of law enforcement, so this was not so much a “pro-gun bill” as it was a “pro-police bill.” But in the end, all citizens benefit..
Expect a brisk business to erupt at places like Wade’s and West Coast Armory in Bellevue, and any other gun shops in the state that sell suppressors.
Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Bellevue-based Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, told this column Monday afternoon that this improvement in the law, which he considers a “house cleaning measure” to straighten out an odd quirk in the statute, will benefit more people than just shooters.
“It’s not only going to be great for the industry,” he commented, “but it will also increase gun sales because people will be purchasing a new firearm to put their new suppressors on.” |
