Proposal aims to make gun silencers legal in Illinois

Posted on May 12, 2015
Gun with silencer
A proposal would make Illinois the 40th state to legalize gun silencers. (Photo courtesy Flickr/emperley3)

By Dave Dahl/Illinois Radio Network

“Concealed carry” is the law of the land in Illinois, and its supporters say no harm has been done.

Now the National Rifle Association is taking aim at “silencers,” currently illegal in Illinois but legal in 39 states. By the way, the NRA’s lobbyist in Illinois says that’s a misnomer.

“They’re called suppressors,” says Todd Vandermyde, believing Hollywood has given the public the wrong idea. “They act just like a muffler does.”

Vandermyde is trying to build support for the devices, which can be added onto a gun and which can be taxed.

He says the suppressors make the sportsmen better neighbors and also help thwart hearing damage.

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