Need a 50 cal rifle noise reduction device.

[Ranb]

The Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club is being sued by Kitsap County and may be shut down due to noise and safety complaints by local residents. Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club Here is a link to the lawsuit; <broken link removed>

There is a rumor that the lawsuit may be set aside if "they do something about those 50 caliber sniper rifles". The range is a "blue sky" range with berms and no baffles. They want to stay that way because it has bays used for IPSC (?) and other shooting events. Baffles may be installed on part of the range in the future.

The club also intends to buck the trend of restricting what calibers can be used there. So we are looking for a way to reduce noise at the range. Silencers are allowed to be owned in Washington State, but RCW 9.41.250 makes it a gross misdemeanor for anyone (police, dealers and military included) to use any device that reduces the report of a firearm. I still have to determine if a device not attached to the rifle would be legal.

I was asked to come up with some sort of dedicated shooting position for the muzzle brake equipped 50 caliber rifles to reduce the noise a bit. I have seen several designs over the years, but have no idea how effective they really are. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

Ranb

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[PBinWA]

They had some interesting tube things in this video ~ 1:59 in:

YouTube - Why Switzerland Has The Lowest Crime Rate In The World

 

[chemist]

RCW 9.41.250 makes it a gross misdemeanor for anyone (police, dealers and military included) to use any device that reduces the report of a firearm.
Ranb

Huh. Isn't that what baffles do? Hard to imagine they could criminalize something that isn't attached to the weapon. If so, the trees around my shooting spot are gonna get me in trouble!

 

[A2theK]

If it's not attached it is OK from my research


A ring of tires is common

...kind of like building a can around the gun.

maybe big funnels exiting a shooting building.

 

[Ranb]

I found the info I need here. <broken link removed>

I also wrote to the Mason county DA asking for an opinion.

A2theK, what data can you pass along? I need something in writing to ensure that the club does not have any more legal hassles if they make something to reduce the noise. Being accused of violating RCW 9.41.250(c) is something we do not need.

Ranb

 

[Riot]

Sounds like a way to shut down a range if you ask me...how close is the nearest house to this range? Seriously...it seams even if you restrict the caliber, place up burms and require muzzle brakes they will still think of more crap to ban.

Next thing will be is the safety concern.

 

[Ranb]

If you read the link I provided you will see it is a matter of zoning, permits, noise and safety concerns. The nearest house is right next to the range, to the south and right of the rifle line. It is alleged by the property owner that bullets are bouncing off of the range and onto his property. I can see this happening for pistol bullets.

Ranb

 

[littlegsxr]

Law enforcement and Military are exempt from the silencer restrictions, just as they can use sbr,sbs,and dd's. The firearms must be registered to the said department, but I know they can use them...

 

[Ranb]

Wrong, there is no exception for anyone in RCW 9.41.250(c). Use is prohibited by anyone in the state that is subject to WA law. While RCW 9.41.190 makes an exception for the police, military and dealers for MG/SBR/SBS, the only place silencers are mentioned in the RCW's is in 9.41.250.

I wrote to the AG asking if registered silencer owners could enjoy the same exemption that the police have from prosecution for silencer use. His assistant wrote back to me saying there was no such exemption and the AG does not have that kind of authority.

So if the police are using silencers, then they are breaking the law even if the local DA is not prosecuting them for it.

If anyone has any proof that the police using silencers, then I would like to see videotape of it so I can ask the local DA how he lets them get away with it. So far I have not see any evidence that the police use them at all. It is like an urban legend.

littlegsxr, if you have evidence of police use of silencers, then please share it with me. If you know of a law that allows it, then please post it. Where or who are you getting your information from?


Ranb

 

[deen_ad]

Sounds like a way to shut down a range if you ask me...how close is the nearest house to this range? Seriously...it seams even if you restrict the caliber, place up burms and require muzzle brakes they will still think of more crap to ban.

Next thing will be is the safety concern.

the one that seems to work best is filing a lead pollution complaint with the EPA and get the gov't to fund the complaint/lawsuit!


Deen
NRA Benefactor/Recruiter
WAC member
SWWAC member

 

[Ranb]

What lead pollution? The water at the rifle range has been tested and is less than the legal limits for lead and copper.

Deen ad; any chance you can convince the WAC to lend a hand on a silencer use bill? So far I am not able to get any help, they seem to think the political climate is not suitable right now.

Ranb

 

[ch139]

The range is a "blue sky" range with berms and no baffles. They want to stay that way...

The club also intends to buck the trend of restricting what calibers can be used there...

The whole thing is unfortunate.

Sounds like the club is really digging in its heels and not being all too flexible; hope that ends well. Unfortunately, the 50BMG weapons are limited at our club to the annual MG shoot.

 

[Ranb]

The club has already restricted shooting hours. They really have nothing to gain by being flexible. They will only lose something. It is like when the gun control freaks want to compromise. What do we gain when they want to compromise? Their idea of a compromise is that they take away less, not give us something like fewer restrictions on other guns.

Are the people complaining about the noise going to go to Olympia and demand that we be allowed to use silencers to reduce noise? Of course not. Most of the WA gun owners here would not do such a thing either.

The point is that people move in close knowing that there is a rifle range next to them, then complain later on when it is no longer convenient. That is unfair.

Ranb

 

[mjbskwim]

I was going to post,then watched the swiss video first.

I was going to suggest you take a conex,take the doors off and line it with some sound deadening material.So a huge tunnel like they had at that swiss range.
You could enclose the ends a little,enough to walk in and a window at the other towards the target(duh).

This should reduce a ton of the sound.

Other than something like this,you would have to hall thousands of yards of dirt in or spend thousands on trees.

 

[Ranb]

I just occurred to me that two 55 gallon drums welded together would just act like a drum and transmit the noise without reducing it much. The range has some foam filled doors that I use to make a box. I can line the interior with plywood for heat protection and partially enclose the ends to capture the blast noise a bit.

Ranb

 

[tac]

Let me get this right in my poor old shakin' head.

In WA you are allowed to actually own a licensed sound moderator, correct?

But you are NOT allowed to mount it on any firearm without breaking the law?

Is this supposed to make sense?

Geez, you guys often have a laff at the way things get done [or not] here in the yUK, but That is just about unbelievable.

'Here is your driver's licence, but you must not get in a car and drive it - THAT is illegal.'

Yeah, right.

tac, mightily confused
supporter of the Cape Meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

 

[Ranb]

No, RCW 9.41.250(c) only prohibits use. While you may get stares mounting a silencer on a gun, it is not actually illegal until you pull the trigger.

Ranb

 

[tac]

No, RCW 9.41.250(c) only prohibits use. While you may get stares mounting a silencer on a gun, it is not actually illegal until you pull the trigger.

Ranb

Am I missing something blindingly obvious here?

You have to have a licence to possess it, but having a licence to possess it doens not mean that you can use it?

So what, pray, is the point of licencing the possession of a totally useless object in the fust place?

So in WA the authorities have the means to exercise a measure of control of the noise by permitting the USE of an already-licenced sound moderator, but they are not authorised to give that permission.

sigh........

tac
Supporter of the Cape meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

 

[TonsOfOregonBrass]

Am I missing something blindingly obvious here?

You have to have a licence to possess it, but having a licence to possess it doens not mean that you can use it?

So what, pray, is the point of licencing the possession of a totally useless object in the fust place?

So in WA the authorities have the means to exercise a measure of control of the noise by permitting the USE of an already-licenced sound moderator, but they are not authorised to give that permission.

sigh........

tac
Supporter of the Cape meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

Welcome to the fun that is US gun laws. The firearms community would love to have laws that make sense, not make someone feel better.

 

[coctailer]

Am I missing something blindingly obvious here?

You have to have a licence to possess it, but having a licence to possess it doens not mean that you can use it?

So what, pray, is the point of licencing the possession of a totally useless object in the fust place?

So in WA the authorities have the means to exercise a measure of control of the noise by permitting the USE of an already-licenced sound moderator, but they are not authorised to give that permission.

sigh........

tac
Supporter of the Cape meares Lighthouse Restoration Fund

The law was written incorrectly. It was not intended to ban the use. It was to prevent poachers from making silencers to kill game.

They forgot to include the words "unless legally owned" to the RCW.

It was an error in the wording that is admittedly incorrect. Just a pain in the butt to have everyone together to change a couple words.