Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) claims that suppressors make mass public shootings more deadly. Between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2024, there were 104 mass public shootings, but only two of those involved suppressors (Virginia Beach, Virginia in 2019 and Milwaukee in 2020). The average number of casualties from mass public shootings with suppressors is actually lower than the average without (11 v. 19.8), though the average number of people murdered is exactly the same as (8.5 v. 8.5).
Senator Murphy also claims that suppressors will make it so that “no one will be able to hear the gun shots.” But AR-15s or .45 caliber handguns are as quiet as a jackhammer is at close range.
Despite the fact that there were 3.54 million legally owned suppressors in 2024, up from 2.66 million in 2021, and fairly easy to make, suppressors are rarely used in crime. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reported recommending prosecutions for only about 44 silencer-related crimes annually over a decade, equating to approximately 0.003% of registered suppressors being used in crimes each year.
According to ChatGPT: “Making a suppressor (or “silencer”) for a firearm is technically not very difficult for someone with moderate mechanical skills and access to basic metalworking tools. . . . the technical skills required to build a suppressor are within reach for many hobbyists.” Indeed, there are guides to making them on the internet.
June 12 2025
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Author: johnrlott
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