Newspaper article on WA suppressor ban

Ranb · Jan 6, 2011

Several weeks ago I wrote to every local paper near Bremerton about the fact that the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club is being sued over noise and safety issues, but WA law makes it a crime to suppress the noise of a firearm, with anything, not just silencers attached to the gun barrel. The Kitsap Sun and Port Orchard Independent (Jeff Rhodes) replied saying they were interested. Josh Farley's stories on the KRRC seemed unbiased, so that is why I contacted him. Farley is still working on his story. The others I just sent an e-mail to an editor or other reporter.

In the 12/31/2010 issue of the Port Orchard Independent my story got most of the front and back pages of the paper. The headline is;

Hauge says gun club cant suppress noise with homemade shooters box.

It included two photos of an indoor shooting position that I found posted on another gun forum, and a drawing of my triangle shaped shooting box. I supplied the pictures and drawing to explain to the reporter what I was talking about as he had a hard time putting a picture together with my words on the phone. Had I known that my simple MS Paint drawing would be published in a newspaper, I would have spent more time on it.

I was also quoted several times in the article based mostly on a single phone conversation with the reporter. This is a reminder that a person has to be very careful what they say to any member of the media.

The article does not seem to be posted on the paper's website. I will ask for permission to post it in its entirety on the forum, but until then, I can quote it a little bit.

The article explains that the gun club is being sued over noise and safety concerns and that I made a shooting box to reduce the noise of high powered rifles and prevent bullets from being shot over the berms. It quotes Prosecuting Attorney Hauge as saying that use of the box would illegal due to the broad nature of the statute. The article also quotes from a letter I got from the ATF saying that my non-portable unattached device would not be controlled as a silencer at the federal level.

The reporter also contacted Hauge.

In a subsequent e-mail, Hauge emphasized he thought Bragge's device could have benefits at the gun club and that his objections were based solely on his belief that it violated existing state law - which Hauge would support changing.

The article goes on to say that I am awaiting an opinion on the suppressor use ban statute from the Attorney General.

If anyone has a link to the article online, please post it.

Ranb

Riot · Jan 6, 2011

Ranb said:
Several weeks ago I wrote to every local paper near Bremerton about the fact that the Kitsap Rifle and Revolver Club is being sued over noise and safety issues, but WA law makes it a crime to suppress the noise of a firearm, with anything, not just silencers attached to the gun barrel. The Kitsap Sun and Port Orchard Independent (Jeff Rhodes) replied saying they were interested. Josh Farley's stories on the KRRC seemed unbiased, so that is why I contacted him. Farley is still working on his story. The others I just sent an e-mail to an editor or other reporter.

In the 12/31/2010 issue of the Port Orchard Independent my story got most of the front and back pages of the paper. The headline is; It included two photos of an indoor shooting position that I found posted on another gun forum, and a drawing of my triangle shaped shooting box. I supplied the pictures and drawing to explain to the reporter what I was talking about as he had a hard time putting a picture together with my words on the phone. Had I known that my simple MS Paint drawing would be published in a newspaper, I would have spent more time on it.

I was also quoted several times in the article based mostly on a single phone conversation with the reporter. This is a reminder that a person has to be very careful what they say to any member of the media.

The article does not seem to be posted on the paper's website. I will ask for permission to post it in its entirety on the forum, but until then, I can quote it a little bit.

The article explains that the gun club is being sued over noise and safety concerns and that I made a shooting box to reduce the noise of high powered rifles and prevent bullets from being shot over the berms. It quotes Prosecuting Attorney Hauge as saying that use of the box would illegal due to the broad nature of the statute. The article also quotes from a letter I got from the ATF saying that my non-portable unattached device would not be controlled as a silencer at the federal level.

The reporter also contacted Hauge.

The article goes on to say that I am awaiting an opinion on the suppressor use ban statute from the Attorney General.

If anyone has a link to the article online, please post it.

Ranb

That's awesome....good job shaking the trees up a bit about this. Sometimes you need to get the media involved if you want to get anything done. Hopefully they get the word out!