Thread: Summary of silencer crime in WA

Letters were sent requesting data on arrests associated with firearm suppressors to every county sheriff’s office in Washington State. Twenty counties reported they had no records of any suppressor related crime. Six counties did not respond to my request despite following up with a second request. Two counties said they did not track crimes by RCW 9.41.250(c). Six counties reported no suppressor related crime going back six to twenty-three years. Five counties reported a total of ten arrests or incidents involving suppressors in the last twelve years. One of these is a murder trial that is ongoing in Spokane County.

Adams County Never arrested anyone using a suppressor and have no records pertaining to suppressor use.

Asotin County No records of arrests for suppressor use.

Benton County No record of any suppressor related crime.

Chelan County No information on arrest involving suppressors.

Clallam County One suppressor seized during search. Not used in crime.

Clark County No knowledge of any suppressor crime.

Columbia County No crimes associated with suppressors since 1997.

Cowlitz County No violations of RCW 9.41.250(c) since 2004. No other
information on suppressor related crime.

Douglas County No records of any crimes committed with suppressors. No suppressors ever seized.

Ferry County No evidence of any crime with suppressors.

Franklin County No record of any crime with suppressors.

Garfield County Would not respond to inquiry.

Grant County No record of any crime with suppressors.

Grays Harbor County Would not respond to inquiry.

Island County No record of any crime with suppressors.

Jefferson County One arrest involving non-functional suppressor 10-12 years ago. No record of conviction.

King County Six incidents involving arrests and suppressors taken into evidence.

Kitsap County All 9.41.250 a b and c crimes grouped together. A search on "silencer" revealed one case.

Kittitas County No silencer crime on record

Klickitat County Would not respond to inquiry.

Lewis County No record of any arrests involving suppressors.

Lincoln County No known crimes have been committed with suppressors.

Mason County No suppressor related crime on record.

Okanogan County Would not respond to inquiry.

Pacific County No suppressor related crime since 1992.

Pend Oreille County Database does not detail RCW 9.41.250(c) crimes but Inspector with agency since 1987 has no recollection of any suppressor crime in the County.

Pierce County Does not track by RCW 9.41.250.

San Juan County No suppressor related crimes reported.

Skagit County No violations involving the use of firearm suppressors.

Skamania County No record of arrests involving firearm suppressors.

Snohomish County Unable to search database without date/location provided.

Spokane County Unable to produce information relating to suppressors. One ongoing murder trial involving crude homemade suppressor.

Stevens County No violations of RCW 9.41.250(c) in the county.

Thurston County No record of suppressor crime since 2007. Records division has no personal recollection of suppressor crime since 2000.

Wahkiakum County No record of suppressor crime.

Walla Walla County No record of suppressor crime.

Whatcom County Would not respond to inquiry.

Whitman County No record of suppressor crime.

Yakima County No record of suppressor crime since 2000.

I believe that there is little evidence silencer related crime in the state. I was unable to find any evidence that any of the silencers involved in these crimes was registered or legally owned.

I have the letters and e-mails from the counties if anyone wants to see them. Please feel free to use this data when writing to your Senator or Representative about the new silencer use bill.

Ranb

Theres no record of crimes with silencer use in Washington cuz those of us from oregon and Idaho are stealthy with our suppressors

I hear the same from WA shooters, especially the police.

Ranb

RanB, of course I was only joshing as I'd never go into Wa with even a gun. I lived outside of Tacoma in Fort Lewis for a couple of years while in the Army and Washington always gave me a feeling of being in a {police state} like California does. Taking a chance with a silencer there would probably have me still in WA today, but in a prison. Of course WA isnt nearly as bad as California. Hope you can get your goofy WA silencer use allowance on the books. Its just plain silly to allow ownership of an object without legal use.

Thanks. I recently found out that setting up a large box in front of the shooting bench into which a rifle barrel is inserted to reduce noise is also illegal. If the silencer use bill in it's former form passes, the only method of noise reduction that will be legal in WA are federally registered silencers and nothing else.

Ranb

Can vouch that there are no record of arrests involving firearm suppressors in Klickitat County.

You know for a public records request non response - every day for each of the non-responsive counties would earn you a $100 fine/day. It's in the RCW.

They are required by law to respond

Ranb - I see you found out that the "baffle" system isn't legal? Hmm I guess an indoor/underground range it is.

I know they are required by law to respond. I'm sure I also have to prove that I requested the info. Due to my budget, I sent the request regular mail, not certified.

Not so fast. I am waiting for an opinion from the AG on whether or not a sound insulated range is legal or not. I hope I am not screwing over the shooting population with an adverse ruling by the AG. With the political climate here in WA, they might say that ear plugs are a device for suppressing firearm noise.

Ranb

The AG you want to speak with is John Wasberg, and no ear plugs won't get to that point.

I'm sure that hearing protection will never be illegal in WA.

I know the AG policy is not to answer questions us mere residents have about the law. That is why I asked my Rep to write a letter. I'm not sure if this policy extends to the assistant AG's also.

Ranb

If you need a question answered, leave me a PM and I'll contact the AG thru their email, and forward the email to you.

There was a thread started some time ago, where I had posted Wasberg's response to suppressor crime. I'll dig around and see if I can find it.

Here's the link;


http://www.northwestfirearms.com/for...ncer-laws.html

Kittitas county finally responded with no record of any silencer crime.

Ranb

Cowlitz had one a lot more recently than 2004. I wish I could remember the details but the subject was unlawfully possessing a firearm and I believe it was a make shift suppressor.

Ok. But I can only go by what they told me. If Senator Kline can tell me that silencers are illegal in the USA, then I do not mind a few mistakes in my favor as far as silencer crime is concerned.

Ranb

This is like the .50 BMG crime wave that caused that caliber to be illegal in CA.... no wait, there was no crime wave. I forgot.

Originally Posted by Madwulf

This is like the .50 BMG crime wave that caused that caliber to be illegal in CA.... no wait, there was no crime wave. I forgot.

Yup, and then Kline tried to send it thru a backdoor commitiee here.

Originally Posted by Ranb

Thanks. I recently found out that setting up a large box in front of the shooting bench into which a rifle barrel is inserted to reduce noise is also illegal. If the silencer use bill in it's former form passes, the only method of noise reduction that will be legal in WA are federally registered silencers and nothing else.

Ranb

I used a length of sonotube for years, as far as the feds are concerned, if it is not attached to the gun they are not concerned with it. What WA law covers this? would they consider an indoor range a really big box?

I have a letter from the feds that says devices not attached to the gun are not silencers. It is the WA state statute that is the problem. RCW 9.41.250(c) prohibits the use of any device or contrivance that suppresses the noise of a firearm. It is very broad, makes no exceptions for devices not attached, and it even prohibits use by the police, military and dealers.

There are some ranges in WA that use downrange baffles and enclosed shooting areas to prevent bullets from leaving the range. They are intended to be safety devices, but also reduce noise. The Kitsap County prosecuting attorney says my shooting box (made from steel doors with enclosed ends) would be illegal to use due to the broad nature of the statute. He also said I would be unlikely to be arrested for using it.

But this is not good enough. We need to know where the line is drawn. I'm sure that the use of ear plugs is legal, so why not boxes that enclose the gun barrel or sound isolated shooting rooms?

I am trying to get an opinion from the AG on the law. My Rep wrote to him, but was refused an opinion. The gun club I belong to is being sued partly over noise complaints even though rifle ranges are exempt from some noise rules. That we are also not allowed to use any device to reduce noise is just plain nuts. I have posted about this on another thread in the rifle section. http://www.northwestfirearms.com/for...pid-drama.html
http://www.northwestfirearms.com/for...on-device.html

Ranb

Originally Posted by Madwulf

This is like the .50 BMG crime wave that caused that caliber to be illegal in CA.... no wait, there was no crime wave. I forgot.

The only upside to the CA ban is that they used the mil spec of the .50 BMG cartridge for the ban. If it won't take a factory round it isn't illegal. Sooo if you were to change the angle of the shoulder or easier yet - turn down the partial rim on the case to a smaller diameter and build a bolt that wouldn't take the factory 50 brass the law does not apply. Of course all of your brass has to be turned on a lathe before you load it to fit your ".50 CA express" or whatever you want to call it and it shoots exactly the same.