You’ve seen that scene in movies where some deranged assassin screws a silencer on his pistol and kills someone, or maybe a bunch of someones, completely undetected.

It’s a popular depiction. And a big, fat lie.

Yet, sadly, a lot of people consider it truth – and it’s clouding their judgment of the Hearing Protection Act of 2019, a version of a bill that former Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., introduced in 2015 to remove some restrictions from silencers.

So, first, let’s debunk the myths:

Myth 1: Silencers are illegal

Not true. Federal law allows civilians to own silencers – and has for decades. Silencers are subject to additional requirements – you must fill out extra paperwork and pay a $200 tax to own one, for example – but it’s totally allowed under federal law.

A handful of states (like California and New York) still ban silencers, but many others have loosened their laws in recent years. Arizona, like most states, allows civilians to own and hunt with a silencer.

The Hearing Protection Act removes silencers from the National Firearms Act, which puts them in the same category as machine guns and grenades. Proponents say silencers aren’t that dangerous and therefore, shouldn’t be subjected to more stringent regulations than most of the firearms to which they attach.

Myth 2: No one will hear a 'silenced' shot

Yes, “silence” is in the name, but it’s somewhat of a misnomer. Silencers slow the escaping gas, but you can still hear the shot – much like how a muffler quiets but does not completely silence the exhaust escaping a car engine.

How much a silencer quiets the noise varies depending on the silencer, the firearm and the type of ammunition used. Some (but not all) can make firing relatively safe without hearing protection. But let’s put that into perspective.

A Walther .22-caliber pistol shoots at around 150 decibels without a suppressor, roughly the equivalent of a jet taking off. The best silencers can muffle that to about 115 decibels, about the noise of a rock concert. And that’s on the quieter end: Larger calibers are usually louder, even with a silencer attached.

In other words, if a mass shooter were ever to use one in a store or a classroom, trust me: You’ll know. It’s highly doubtful people won’t hear the shots to call 911 or get out of harm’s way, as opponents argue.

Myth 3: Only criminals will use them

An infinitesimal number of crimes (like, far less than 1 percent) have involved silencers in the last decade, according to an analysis published in the Western Criminology Review, a peer-reviewed research journal that focuses on crime. Why? Well, they add weight and length, for one, making firearms more difficult to conceal. Some also require special ammunition and modifications to the firearm to function reliably. I suspect that's why they're not the accessory of choice for those to aim to do others harm.

So, who would use a silencer? Well, it’s mostly hunters and sport shooters who want less noise as they shoot. They argue that this is beneficial not only for their ears, but also for those who may live near a hunting ground or shooting range.

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Now, we can debate whether that’s a good enough reason for government to drop the added restrictions (I would argue yes – the risk of people legally acquiring one and using it for harm is overblown).

But let’s have that debate based on facts, not on what we think we know from the movies.

Reach Allhands at joanna.allhands@arizonarepublic.com. On Twitter: @joannaallhands.

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