18 days before Vegas massacre, GOP approved a bill to make gun silencers easier to buy

Just over 15 days before the worst mass shooting in U.S. history was carried out in Las Vegas this Sunday, South Carolina Republican Jeff Duncan got his bill, the Sportsman’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act, approved by a key House committee to move forward for a possible vote.

According to POLITICO, the bill is the most extreme push to ease gun restrictions since Trump came into office and included language which seeks to revise federal regulations on the same of gun silencers. Democrats argued that Duncan’s bill would make if possible to get a silencer without a background check.

Another provision in the bill would make it more difficult for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to classify certain types of ammunition as “armor piercing.” Even regulations on the transportation of firearms would be revised.

In a statement from September, Duncan mentioned the fact that 40 states allow hunters to use silencers.

“Sportsmen are the foundation of the conservation movement in the United States, yet some radical organizations seek to limit access to this pastime by restricting the Second Amendment, as well as land and game management,” Duncan said.

The legislation was described as “one of the top priorities” of the National Rifle Association.

“Today marks an important step in protecting the Second Amendment freedoms of America’s hunters and sportsmen and strengthening our outdoor heritage,” said Chris Cox, who’s the executive director of the NRA’s lobbying arm. “The SHARE Act will cut burdensome red tape that restricts millions of hunters and sportsmen.”

Due to the 1934 National Firearms Act, silencers were given the same treatment as automatic weapons or explosives, making the waiting time to obtain one up to 9 months or more with buyers having to hand over fingerprints and a photograph.

This Sunday, police say 64-year-old Stephen Paddock killed at least 58 people when he opened fire from a room at the Mandalay Bay hotel. It was also reported that Paddock had “legally purchased some guns,” but there hasn’t yet been a motive determined for the shooting.

Featured image via Heavy.com

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.