If you are of legal voting age and live in IOWA and are a law abiding citizen you may sign this petition that will be handed in to our politicians.

There is a good reasonsilencers should be allowed inIowa many people in our state shoot regularly for target practice or as a family outing orfor somthing to do andthat is perfectly legal,shooting can damage a persons ears even with proper hearing protection not to mention the noise bothers people thatlive close by ranges and private property where people target shoot,target shooting usually involves alot of bullets being fired off and thats why it seems to make neighbors angry,the states that do allow them do a good job of regulating how they are bought and sold its harder to get a silencer in those states than it is to buy a handgun and thats why im confident that Iowa can regulate who buys and sellsthem just as well as the states that allow them do.

Here is more information on silencers:

Why would anyone want a silencer?

A silenced firearm is eminently more enjoyable to shoot than one without a silencer. Shooters are able to concentrate more on breath control and trigger pull when they are not subjected to the fatigue and distraction of a loud, bright, muzzle blast. Beginning shooters are typically not intimidated when introduced to the shooting sports with a silenced firearm, and are able to easily hear instructions given to them by trainers since hearing protection is no longer needed. Silenced firearms are also less likely to disturb any people, livestock, or wildlife that may be in close proximity to where you shoot.

Silencers are legal under federal law but since 1934 you must pay a $200 tax to purchase and submit to an FBI background check. Fingerprints and photos must be provided and a long wait of several months occurs before the paperwork is approved. There is no 'license' needed to own a silencer.

In 1909 Hiram P. Maxim invented one of the first metal silencers for reducing sound levels in firearms. Silencers were innovatively marketed as the gentleman's way of target shooting. They turned out to be quite popular, and sold quite well through the 1920s, and into the early '30s. The Great Depression of the 1930s left many people out of work, leading some to poach game in order to keep their families from starving. Concurrently, crime in the 1930s rose dramatically. It was in this context that attempts were made at passing legislation prohibiting handguns and machine guns. The Second Amendment to the U.S. constitution, however, prevented such legislation, and the courts struck it down. Eventually the concept of taxation was used to evade the wording in the Second Amendment.



Europe is much more progressive and recognizes that hearing loss is a serious issue. In Finland silencers are not regulated at all and in England and France they are available with a permit and cheap ($30 and up). With the rural areas becoming popular and with more complaints about noise pollution near shooting ranges, it is time that silencers become as unrestricted as automobile mufflers.

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