Pruning back the unruly thicket of state and federal firearms regulations is all about incremental progress. Baby steps, if you will. It’s not the bombshell that the Heller or McDonald decisions were, but another state has taken another small step in making its gun laws more rational. With little public fanfare (although we reported on it here first), Gregoire has signed legislation scrapping The Evergreen State’s half-century ban on suppressors . . .
With her signature, House Bill 1016 added the clause “unless the suppressor is legally registered and possessed in accordance with federal law” to Washington’s long-standing ban on boomless boomsticks. This will eventually allow patient and well-heeled Washingtonians to submit their applications, pay $200 to The Man (in this case, the ATF) and wait for their NFA tax stamp so they can spend a ton more money on a suppressor.
It’s not likely that this bill will unleash a flood of NFA suppressor applications (the process is still tedious, and cans are still damned expensive) but it hastens the day when the average shooter will start to see suppressors at gun stores and shooting ranges, and maybe think about getting one for themselves.
Too bad this bill doesn’t say anything about SBRs, short-barreled shotguns, or full autos; they’re still verboten to all except law enforcement and Class 3 manufacturers.
Baby steps. Baby steps.