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When conversing with gun enthusiasts who happen to live in Europe, it isn’t hard to feel a touch superior. Battles might rage in this country over the Second Amendment’s meaning and scope, but the fact is that we have a Second Amendment to fight about, which is more than they can say. But in one regard, our European counterparts have it better than we do.

Talking with a friend and fellow hunter from Finland not long ago, I mentioned that I was having a pistol built with a suppressor and started to detail the steps involved in acquiring a “sound moderator,” as the Brits sometimes call them. He was shocked. Access to and the use of sound suppressors in his homeland is not only easy; it’s officially encouraged. The same is true in other countries as well. In Britain, in fact, it can be illegal in some instances not to use a suppressor while shooting.

Compare that with the attitude in the United States, where suppressors have long contended with a criminal and nefarious stigma—a combination of Hollywood propaganda and the inclusion of suppressors in the National Firearms Act of 1934, which also regulated the possession of fully automatic firearms, short-barreled rifles and shotguns, and what are called “destructive devices.”

Notice that they are “regulated” and not “prohibited.” That’s another common misconception, even among gun owners. As shocked as my Finnish friend was about the difficulty of obtaining a suppressor in the U.S., I’ve encountered gun owners here who were equally surprised that you can own one at all. In fact, all but 11 states allow for civilian ownership of suppressors.

Why use suppressors?

Spend much time around old shooters and you’re sure to see someone cup a hand behind one ear when you start to speak, a move known in some circles as the NRA salute. Hearing loss is a serious health problem, and beyond the obvious quality-of-life issues, it is a real safety concern. The inability to hear range commands, or your buddy walking up to you in a grouse thicket, can have tragic consequences. 

Then there’s the matter of noise pollution. More than one gun club has been shut down due to the noise generated by gunfire, and countless others have had to spend piles of time and money fighting off challenges from unhappy neighbors.

Few states permit hunting with suppressors, which is a shame. A muffled report can create more opportunities for follow-up shots on wounded game and protect the hearing of our hunting dogs and companions in the field.