ICYMI: As Legislation To Roll Back Silencer Safety Laws Stalls in Congress, Silencer Manufacturers Descend on Las Vegas for Annual SHOT Show

In case you missed it, tomorrow the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s annual SHOT Show will begin on the Las Vegas strip, less than three miles from the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, which took place outside Mandalay Bay in October 2017. More than 65,000 people are expected to attend SHOT Show, where firearms and accessory makers will launch new products, and at least one company, FosTecH, which manufactures bump stocks, the device that enabled the Las Vegas gunman to fire more rapidly, mimicking automatic fire, will be participating.

Meanwhile, as legislation that would grow silencer manufacturer profits at the expense of public safety — the SHARE Act — continues to stall in Congress, the country’s leading silencer manufacturers are planning to be there, including SilencerCo and Gemtech.

The SHARE Act includes the so-called “Hearing Protection Act,” which would roll back silencer safety laws and make it easy for convicted felons, domestic abusers and people with dangerous mental illnesses to buy silencers without a background check, simply by finding an unlicensed seller. Many of the nation’s top law enforcement organizations oppose this legislation because it would make our communities less safe. The silencer industry trade group, the American Suppressor Association, has taken credit for writing the legislation, saying it could grow silencer industry profits “by 10 times.” Last September, the CEO of one major gun manufacturer, American Outdoor Brands, described his company’s acquisition of the silencer manufacturer Gemtech by saying, “We view this acquisition as somewhat opportunistic, allowing us to enter the suppressor category prior to the potential favorable changes in legislation and at a time when the market is particularly soft.”

So, as gun company profits continue to lag under this administration, reporters should ask silencer companies heading to SHOT Show: How do the country’s leading silencer manufacturers think the SHARE Act would affect business?

If you have additional questions about the SHOT Show or the about this dangerous legislation, don’t hesitate to reach out.

###