GunsAmerica Digest has a new Suppressor Academy webpage that provides host of helpful information about suppressors (aka “silencers” and “cans”). The Suppressor Academy online resource page features in-depth articles with important information for anyone considering acquiring a suppressor. The articles explain the key benefits of suppressors, how to choose a suppressor, and how to comply with Federal and state laws regulating suppressors. Below we link to four Suppressor Academy articles. Click the title for each topic to read the full-length article.
Suppressors are now legal in 42 U.S. States. There are certain legal requirements for obtaining a suppressor, including paying a $200 Tax Stamp. To own a suppressor you must be legally eligible to purchase a firearm, pass a BATFE background check, pay a one time $200 Transfer Tax, and satisfy age requirements. (SEE ALL Requirements). In most (but not all) of those states you can use a suppressor for hunting. The eight (mostly blue) states which still prohibit civilian suppressor ownership are: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. READ FULL ARTICLE on GunsAmerica Digest.
Suppressors serve one main purposes — to reduce the sound levels produced when firing pistol or rifle rounds. But GunsAmerica Digest editor True Pearce notes there are many other reasons to own a suppressor. A suppressor can reduce muzzle blast and felt recoil. The suppressor may prevent hearing damage that occurs through bone conduction better than earplugs and muffs because it reduces the noise energy at the source. When hunting, the reduced shot noise can help avoid spooking game. Having a suppressor also makes it easier to communicate when working as a team on a hunt. And, when compared to a muzzle BRAKE, suppressors are much less likely to kick up dust, dirt, sand, and snow when you shoot prone. READ FULL ARTICLE on GunsAmerica Digest.
There is some confusion surrounding the laws concerning suppressors, which are now legal in 42 U.S. States. In most jurisdictions that allow suppressor ownership, no additional state permit or license is required. But you do have to comply with Federal requirements when acquiring the suppressor. You may wish to create a trust to own the suppressor — there are some important practical advantages to having a suppressor trust. The Traditional NFA Gun Trust allows multiple responsible parties, i.e. “trustees”, to legally have possession of the suppressor. Each trustee must be verified and for each suppressor owned by the trust there will be a $200 Tax Stamp. READ FULL ARTICLE on GunsAmerica Digest.
When shopping for a suppressor there are many factors to consider: price, build quality, materials, sound level reduction effectiveness, weight, ease of mounting, and ease of cleaning and maintenance. We recommend that all suppressor buyers research the options. Check the manufacturer’s reputation, check diagrams for disassembly and maintenance. There are always trade-offs. Shorter suppressors may save some weight, but if they don’t cut the decibels as well you may be disappointed. You also need to consider the caliber — will your suppressor be used on multiple firearms? If so then get one that fits the largest caliber you will shoot. READ FULL ARTICLE on GunsAmerica Digest.
SIG Sauer has been awarded the Next Generation Squad Weapons System (NGSW) contract by the U.S. Army after a 27-month testing/evaluation process. This contract is for a new basic rifle and a new lightweight machine gun. Both new NGSW arms will use a new high-velocity 6.8mm cartridge — the 6.8×51 FURY. This 6.8×51 FURY Hybrid Ammunition features a patented bi-metal hybrid case designed to handle pressures higher than conventional ammo, resulting in significantly increased velocity and on-target energy in lighter weapons. These new rifles will also feature SIG Sauer suppressors.
The SIG-LMG (XM250) lightweight belt-fed machine gun and SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle (XM5) are purpose-built to use SIG FURY 6.8 Common Cartridge Ammunition enabling greater range and increased lethality while reducing the weapon/ammo weight carried by soldiers. Both the SIG-LMG (XM250) and MCX-SPEAR (XM5) deliver significant advancements compared to the current M249 and M4/M4A1.
SIG Sauer’s new 6.8×51 XM250 and XM5 combat weapons both have a suppressor as standard issue equipment. SIG SLX Suppressors are designed to reduce sound signature and flash, and they feature a patented quick-detach design for easy installation/removal.
“The U.S. Army is taking a bold step toward the command of the 21st-century battlefield and SIG SAUER is immensely proud to be the selected provider for this historic revolution in infantry weapons. The fielding of the SIG SAUER Next Generation Squad Weapons System will forever change the dynamic of military engagement for America’s warfighters with American innovation and manufacturing,” stated Ron Cohen, President, and CEO of SIG Sauer, Inc.
SIG Sauer states: “The SIG FURY Hybrid Ammunition, SIG-LMG (XM250), SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle (XM5), and SIG SLX Suppressors meaningfully advance soldier weapons technology to meet the emerging requirements of the U.S. Army.”
But is there a downside to switching to a completely new cartridge type? Yes — the problem is building ammo supplies. BreakingDefense.com notes: “While both the legacy rounds [5.56×45 and 7.62×51] have significant stockpiles built up over the years, getting ammunition levels to where they need to be is a daunting challenge”. At a Pentagon media briefing, Brig. Gen. William Boruff, executive officer for armaments and ammunition explained: “Current ammunition is such that the availability is almost an afterthought. This is because the Army has spent decades refining its process to ensure a sufficient inventory of 5.56 ammunition is available and the industry base is present to continue replenishing on a consistent basis. The Army has not introduced a new caliber for about 65 years[.] Doing so will require extensive coordination” to ramp up production and build 6.8×51 inventories.
The SIG Sauer XM5 rifle offers advantages over current U.S. military rifles. The new SIG rifle is built on the MCX platform with the added firepower of the 6.8×51 round. The XM5 features familiar AR-style ambidextrous ergonomics for easy transition from the legacy weapons to the SIG NGSW system. The weapons will also employ SIG Sauer “Next Generation” Suppressors.
SIG Sauer is proud to offer the advancements of the NGSW System in the SIG 277 FURY Hybrid Ammunition (the commercial variant of the SIG 6.8×51 FURY Ammunition round), SIG MCX-SPEAR Rifle, and the SIG SLX Suppressors available to the consumer. For more information about these products visit sigsauer.com.
Powder and primers are still very pricey but (thankfully) we are starting to see the price of factory-loaded ammunition slide down a bit. Here is a great deal for rimfire shooters. You can now get CCI .22 LR Standard Velocity 40gr Target Ammo for just $4.99 per box, with flat-rate shipping. This is good, reliable ammo for plinking, practice, and rimfire pistol work. And it will probably be good enough for NRL22 competition if the targets are not too far out.
Save $1.40 per Round or More by Training/Competing with Rimfire
The ammo price differential is why many PRS/NRL competitors are now doing more rimfire matches than centerfire matches. At $4.99 per 50-round box, this CCI ammo runs just $0.10 (ten cents) per round. Compare that to handloaded 6mm Creedmoor ammo. These days, you might pay close to $1.00 per round just for bullet, powder, and primer. And then you must figure in brass costs and barrel depreciation. A good 6mm barrel may lose its competitive edge after 1500 rounds. That means each centerfire shot could cost you $0.40 (forty cents) or more just in barrel depreciation, assuming the cost of your new chambered/fitted barrel is $600. So you see why rimfire makes sense from a budget standpoint.
Are you looking to get started in PRS and NRL practical precision rifle competition? Or perhaps you’d like to advance your skill set so you can place higher in big matches (and get your hands on those prize table items)? Of course there is no substitute for trigger time in the field, but there ARE some great print resources. These four books can help you select the right equipment, improve your shooting skills, make better wind calls, increase your fitness, and develop a more efficient between-match training program.
1. Precision Rifle Marksmanship: The Fundamentals
Frank Galli, $23.71 Paperback, $15.99 Kindle
Frank Galli (aka “LowLight”) is the founder/head honcho of SnipersHide.com, the most active tactical community on the internet. Galli is also a retired USMC scout-sniper. Practical Precision Rifle shooting is one of the hottest trends in competitive shooting today. PRS and NRL matches draw big turn-outs and boast impressive prize tables. Galli’s Precision Rifle Marksmanship book covers the fundamentals of precision marksmanship with easy-to-understand methodology. The book uses the same instruction process that Galli uses in his live marksmanship classes.
As Sniper’s Hide guru Frank Galli explains, there is no voodoo when it comes to precision rifle marksmanship, but there are techniques that, when practiced, make the difference between good marksmanship and great marksmanship. Understanding the reasons that a bullet hits or doesn’t hit its intended target at ultra-long distances is a crucial element to learning. Galli’s explanations of how to understand and compensate for wind speed and direction are excellent — Galli offers great wind-reading advice.
Published in 2020, this 272-page well-illustrated book covers the latest equipment (scopes, LRFs, chassis systems, mags, bags, bipods, tripods) favored by tactical competitors in PRS/NRL type matches.
2. Long Range Shooting Handbook
Ryan Cleckner, $24.82 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Ryan Cleckner’s Long Range Shooting Handbook is the best-selling modern book on practical rifle skills. A former U.S. Army sniper instructor, Cleckner is knowledgeable, and his text is well-organized and chock full of good information. You can view Sample Chapters on Amazon.com.
Ryan Cleckner’s highly-regarded Long Range Shooting Handbook is designed as an intro to important fundamental concepts such as MOA vs. Mils, External Ballistics, and Environmental Effects. Included are personal tips and advice based on Cleckner’s years of experience as a sniper instructor and special operations sniper.
The Long Range Shooting Handbook is divided into three main categories: What It Is/How It Works, Fundamentals, and How to Use It. “What It Is/How It Works” covers equipment, terminology, and basic principles. “Fundamentals” covers the theory of long range shooting. “How to Use It” gives practical advice on implementing what you’ve learned, so you can progress as a skilled, long range shooter. This book will benefit any long-range shooter, not just PRS/NRL competitors.
3. IMPACT! — Training and Preparing for Precision Rifle Matches
Rodney Maze, $14.99 Paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Impact!, by PRS competitor Rodney Maze, is an entry/intermediate level guide to preparing yourself and your equipment to compete in precision rifle type matches. It will also benefit anyone looking to learn about practical-style long range and precision shooting. We recommend you check it out for yourself — there are 20 Pages of free sample content on Amazon. Topics covered include:
— Rifle, optic, and equipment selection
— Setting up your rifle, bags, tripods for PRS/NRL matches
— Understanding ballistics and how to record and use ballistic data
— Techniques for using holdovers for multi-target stages
— Gun skills, rapid fire techniques, clearing malfunctions
— Shooting off of barricades, and specialty stages
— Effects of wind and how to improve your wind calls
— Tips for live fire and dry fire practice
— Preparing yourself and your equipment for a match
— Mental strategies and techniques
Impact! is illustrated with plenty of photographs. Topics are divided logically, and concepts are explained in clear language. Also included is an extensive glossary of terms used in precision shooting and a list of additional resources you can use to further pursue your precision shooting knowledge. This book also includes a handy Appendix with formatted pages for recording data about your rifle, scope, and ammunition. There is also a Wind table for recording your rifle “dope” and wind hold-offs. Lastly, Impact! has a useful table of unit conversions.
4. Practical Shooter’s Guide
Marcus Blanchard, $19.99 Paperback, $9.99 Kindle
Thinking of getting started in the Practical/Tactical shooting game? Looking for ways to be more stable when shooting from unconventional positions? Then you may want to read Marcus Blanchard’s Practical Shooter’s Guide (A How-To Approach for Unconventional Firing Positions and Training). Unlike almost every “how to shoot” book on the market, Blanchard’s work focuses on the shooting skills and positions you need to succeed in PRS matches and similar tactical competitions. Blanchard provides clear advice on shooting from barricades, from roof-tops, from steep angles. Blanchard says you need to train for these types of challenges: “I believe the largest factor in the improvement of the average shooter isn’t necessarily the gear; it’s the way the shooter approaches obstacles and how they properly train for them.”
Can you guess what your next barrel will weigh? In many competition disciplines, “making weight” is a serious concern when putting together a new match rifle. A Light Varmint short-range Benchrest rifle cannot exceed 10.5 pounds including scope. An F-TR rifle is limited to 18 pounds, 2 oz. (8.25 kg) with bipod.
One of the heaviest items on most rifles is the barrel. If your barrel comes in much heavier than expected, it can boost the overall weight of the gun significantly. Then you may have to resort to cutting the barrel, or worse yet, re-barreling, to make weight for your class. In some cases, you can remove material from the stock to save weight, but if that’s not practical, the barrel will need to go on a diet. (As a last resort, you can try fitting a lighter scope.)
Is there a reliable way to predict, in advance, how much a finished barrel will weigh? The answer is “yes”. PAC-NOR Barreling of Brookings, Oregon has created a handy, web-based Barrel Weight Calculator. Just log on to Pac-Nor’s website and the calculator is free to use. Pac-Nor’s Barrel Weight Calculator is pretty sophisticated, with separate data fields for Shank Diameter, Barrel Length, Bore Diameter — even length and number of flutes. Punch in your numbers, and the Barrel Weight Calculator then automatically generates the weight for 16 different “standard” contours.
Calculator Handles Custom Contours
What about custom contours? Well the Pac-Nor Barrel Weight Calculator can handle those as well. The program allows input of eight different dimensional measurements taken along the barrel’s finished length, from breech to muzzle. You can use this “custom contour” feature when calculating the weight of another manufacturer’s barrel that doesn’t match any of Pac-Nor’s “standard” contours.
Caution: Same-Name Contours from Different Makers May Not be Exactly the Same
One key thing to remember when using the Barrel Weight Calculator is that not all “standard” contours are exactly the same, as sold by different barrel-makers. A Medium Palma contour from Pac-Nor may be slightly different dimensionally from a Krieger Medium Palma barrel. When using the Pac-Nor Barrel Weight Calculator to find the weight of a barrel from a different manufacturer, we recommend you get the exact dimensions from your barrel-maker. If these are different that Pac-Nor’s default dimensions, use the “custom contour” calculator fields to enter the true dimensions for your brand of barrel.
Smart Advice — Give Yourself Some Leeway
While Pac-Nor’s Barrel Weight Calculator is very precise (because barrel steel is quite uniform by volume), you will see some small variances in finished weight based on the final chambering process. The length of the threaded section (tenon) will vary from one action type to another. In addition, the size and shape of the chamber can make a difference in barrel weight, even with two barrels of the same nominal caliber. Even the type of crown can make a slight difference in overall weight. This means that the barrel your smith puts on your gun may end up slightly heavier or lighter than the Pac-Nor calculation. That’s not a fault of the program — it’s simply because the program isn’t set up to account for chamber volume or tenon length.
What does this mean? In practical terms — you should give yourself some “wiggle room” in your planned rifle build. Unless you’re able to shave weight from your stock, do NOT spec your gun at one or two ounces under max based on the Pac-Nor calculator output. That said, the Pac-Nor Barrel Weight Calculator is still a very helpful, important tool. When laying out the specs for a rifle in any weight-restricted class, you should always “run the numbers” through a weight calculator such as the one provided by Pac-Nor. This can avoid costly and frustrating problems down the road.
Are sound suppressors useful in competition shooting? In some disciplines, and in venues where sound “moderators” are permitted, the answer is “yes”. In the November edition of Shooting Sports USA eZine, you’ll find an interesting article about the use of sound suppressors (aka “cans”). The article explores the use of suppressors in Europe and in tactical matches in North America. You’ll also find an explanation of the rules and regulations governing suppressor ownership and use in the United States.
Shooting Sports Editor Chip Lohman tests three rifles from the bench and found that sound suppressors did not harm accuracy. In fact, all three test rifles (one each in .223 Rem, .308 Win, and .338 Lapua Magnum), shot slightly better 5-shot groups at 200 yards when a suppressor was fitted to the barrel. However, the suppressors did alter point of impact. Interestingly, velocity standard deviation (SD) values were lower with suppressors in place for all three test rifles. This observation calls for further study.*
So the use of suppressors in competition could be a good thing. However, in the United States, current NRA rules prohibit the use of sound suppressors. NRA Rule 3.16.1 subsection (a) states: “Sound Suppressors are not authorized for use in High Power competition.” In addition, there are some practical problems with suppressors — the heat rising off of a naked suppressor can create mirage problems (that’s why some shooters wrap their cans with a cover).
Despite such issues, now commonly see suppressors on rifles used in tactical matches and PRS/NRL events. For example, many competitors in the Steel Safari field challenge match use suppressors. The photo below shows our friend Zak Smith competing in the Steel Safari with his suppressed Accuracy International rifle.
Commentary — What Can We Conclude?
Obviously, this three-rifle SSUSA test was not definitive. One well might observe different results with different types of suppressors, fitted to different kinds of rifles. Mounting a suppressor to any barrel will certainly affect harmonics and “tune”. But this SSUSA study does suggest that tactical shooters, who are allowed to use suppressors in competition, may find that the benefits of suppressors (significantly reduced recoil and less noise) outweigh any meaningful accuracy loss, at least in PRS-type matches.
NOTE: The article cautions that one should not extrapolate too much from the SD numbers, given the low number of test shots. Chronograph-maker Ken Oehler, when asked to comment on the SD values stated: “[You should] report the observed SDs, but draw no conclusions until… you can do more testing with larger sample sizes.”
Qualifications to Obtain a Suppressor
To legally obtain a suppressor, you must fill out Federal Forms and pay a $200 fee to the ATF. You must also pass BATFE background checks and otherwise comply with Federal and state laws. States can regulate suppressor ownership or use, so be sure to check the laws in your area. On the federal level, the process to acquire a suppressor is regulated under the National Firearms Act of 1934.
Shooting Industry magazine just released its latest April 2022 edition. You can read the full digital version on the web for free. This April issue contains an interesting article about long-range and PRS/NRL shooting equipment, and the current market for high-end tactical-style rifles and optics.
Shooting Industry’sEquipping Today’s Long-Range Customer article explains that customers in the long-range tactical market are prepared to spend serious bucks, but they demand high-quality gear that will last: “Those shooters who get serious about the [long-range shooting] sport can spend $10,000 or more on a rifle/optic combo. This is before adding accessories like bipods, Kestrel meters and rangefinders. Even an ‘entry level’ setup can set a customer back $2,000 – $3,000. So, while your average shopper might balk at the idea of spending as much on an optic as they do the rifle, things are different with this crowd” because they have done their homework.
“When people decide to step into the sport, they know they’re going to spend money. They don’t want to buy cheap” said A.J. Hoffman of SoDak Sports in South Dakota. Those who try to succeed at long range with low-end components “are likely to end up regretting the decision” — after gaining a better understanding of what it takes to hit targets at 1,000 yards and beyond.
Here are some recommended products featured in the article:
ZEISS LRP S5 318-50 FFP Scope
This new ZEISS LRP S5 318-50 First Focal Plane (FFP) optic offers the widest vertical adjustment range on the market — a full 140 MOA or 40.7 Milrads. We recently reviewed the bigger brother of this 3-18X power optic, the new ZEISS LRP S5 525-56 scope. Our tester said the 5-25x56mm ZEISS S5 offered great, precise turrets and very sharp glass. And the 5X magnification range gives the scope great versatility, from close-range to one mile and beyond.
WOOX Cobra Thumbhole Stock
Shooting Industry magazine states that “The unique ergonomics of the Cobra Thumbhole Precision stock from WOOX reduces felt recoil to help the shooter… while on the firing line.” We like the modern, adjustable design, with laminated wood on the grip and handguard. This provides the advantages of a contemporary tactical stock with the comfortable feel of wood. This WOOX stock features an adjustable comb, and rear underside Pic rail, and a forearm that can mount various accessories.
Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56mm FFP
Another popular optic for long range tactical shooters is the Vortex Razor HD Gen III 6-36x56mm FFP. This is a very durable optic with an impressive 6X zoom range. The upper 36X power is effective to see small targets at long distances.
This week, Shooting USA TV spotlights the 2021 GAP Grind, the largest PRS Pro-Am Tactical match with nearly 400 competitors. The 2021 GAP Grind/Bushnell Pro/Am took place in October at the K&M Precision Shooting Complex in Finger, Tennessee. The 3-day event, the biggest PRS match of the year, included professional and “amateur” classes with both individual and team competition. Here are highlights from the 2021 event in this Area419-produced video:
GAP Grind 2021 in Tennessee:
SHOW TIMES: This Shooting USA Episode airs Wednesday, March 30, 2021 at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 PM Central. If you miss the regular broadcast, you can stream the show at any time on Vimeo for $0.99 per episode.
The GAP Grind is held at the impressive K&M Shooting Complex in Tennessee:
GAP Grind 2022 INFO: If you are interested in competing in the 2022 GAP Grind, Registration Opens June, 3 2022. The 2022 GAP Grind runs September 30 through October 2, 2022.
Lots of Action, with 20+ Stages
The GAP Grind is a challenging, “high tempo” match with minimal down-time between stages. Over the course of 20+ stages, competitors will fire 200+ shots at a variety of steel, paper, moving, and reactive targets out to 1,200 yards. Targets vary in size/difficulty based on the shooter’s position, distance, and time allotted. Most stages include “stressors” — i.e. time limits or required movement(s).
The GAP Grind typically attracts over 300 competitors — half experienced shooters and the other half newcomers to the sport. The key to growing the shooting sports is attracting new shooters. The best way to bring in “new blood” seems to be the Pro-Am type format. At the GAP Grind, experienced shooters share their knowledge and guide the new shooters through the competition.
Great video shows K&M Complex — overhead and action shots — Click II pause to halt:
GAP Grind Hardware
You’ll find the latest and greatest PRS hardware at the GAP Grind. Notable in 2021 was the fact that many top competitors “stepped down” from the 6.5/6mm Creedmoor to the smaller, more efficient 6mm Dasher, 6BRA and other 6mm cartridges. The Dasher offers excellent accuracy with less recoil than the 6.5 Creedmoor. Also, many top shooters are now running Kahles optics and we predict will be running the new Zeiss FFP scopes in 2022. Photo by Shelley Giddings.
Brian, a gunsmith at GA Precision, built this rimfire rig with GAP colleague Anthony Soukup.
On his Facebook page, Tactical competitor Bryan Sikes posted a photo of a rimfire rig we really liked. Brian works at GA Precision. He and fellow GAP gunsmith Anthony Soukup built this rifle. With a modified Rem 40X action, Manners stock, Bartlein barrel, and Mack Brothers suppressor, this rig has top-quality components stem to stern. And Bryan tells us this rifle performs as good as it looks: “This is the baddest little .22 LR trainer ever. I’m stoked about it. With the barrel length and can, it’s the exact length of my regular comp rigs.” With length, balance, and ergonomics near identical to Bryan’s centerfire competition rifles, this 40X is a superb training tool.
Many readers wanted to know about the bottom metal and the detachable box magazine. Bryan Sike reveals: “The magazine setup is designed specifically to replicate my actual competition rifles. The bottom metal is for use with AI magazines and uses a standard M5 type inlet just like any centerfire completion rifle. In this case with the .22LR, Mike Bush designed a high reliability rimfire magazine using the same outside dimensions as an AI magazine. This rifle was built no different from any other. The action was modified and trued, barreled, fully bedded, etc. using ALL components common to centerfire match rifles.” The Rem 40X action was modified by Modacam Custom Rifles to work as a repeater with box mags.
Bryan adds that a new rimfire action is in the works: “My preference is modified Remington 40X actions and the [Vudoo Gunworks V-22 Action]. Both of which are TRUE repeaters and don’t feed from a Savage magazine. This rifle feels nothing like a .22 LR and that was the whole point.”
Why You Need a .22 LR Tactical Cross-Trainer
Many guys who shoot long-range tactical matches practice with .22 LR rifles of similar configuration. Rimfire ammo is way more affordable than centerfire, you do not need a big range facility, and shooting rimfire saves wear and tear on your centerfire rifle. Further, for learning how to read the wind, there really is no better training tool than a .22 LR, even as close as 50 yards.
Our Friend “DesertFrog”, who shoots tactical matches in Southern California, explains: “I used to shoot an average of 200 rounds of .308 Match ammo a month for training (50 per weekend). These days I shoot maybe an average of 50 rounds of .308 Win per month and probably around 600 rounds of .22 LR. Using mainly the .22 LR for practice did NOT hurt my standings in actual competitions. I shot my .308 just as well in matches, but saved the cost of hundreds of rounds of .308. If I didn’t reload and was still buying boxes of Federal Gold Medal Match .308 Win [at $1.75/round], this would be a savings of [$262.50 per month on the centerfire ammo (150 rounds).]” Money saved is money earned.
Targets for Rimfire Cross-Training
SPECIAL BONUS–Rimfire Tactical Precision Targets
These FREE targets by DesertFrog are offered in Adobe Acrobat format for easy printing. CLICK HERE to download all six targets as a .ZIP archive.
Graphic from NRA-ILA which worked to prevent passage of Washington S.B. 5078.
The Washington State legislature has passed a new statute which will prohibit the purchase, sale, or transfer of firearms magazines which hold more than ten (10) rounds. This new law, Washington Senate Bill 5078, goes into effect on July 1, 2022. This new Washington law has a “grandfather” clause that allows current owners of large-capacity mags to retain them. However, no one may transfer such magazines in the state after 7/1/2022.
The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) plans to file legal actions to challenge the new Washington state magazine bans. The FPC issued this statement:
By enacting the unconstitutional S.B. 5078, the State of Washington has further restricted the fundamental human rights of Washington residents and visitors by banning the transfer and other conduct related to so-called “large capacity” magazines. FPC condemns this latest act of state aggression and will not allow this law to go unchallenged. To that end, FPC Law will be taking aggressive action to fight this immoral law and seek to have it enjoined and declared unconstitutional.
In S.B. 5078, the State banned the manufacture, import, distribution, sale, or offering for sale any large capacity magazine, which is now defined (with some minor exceptions) as ammunition feeding devices with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds of ammunition, or any conversion kit, part, or combination of parts, from which such a device can be assembled if those parts are in possession of or under the control of the same person.
The bill also makes distributing, selling, offering for sale, or facilitating the sale, distribution, or transfer of a large capacity magazine online an unfair or deceptive act or practice or unfair method of competition in the conduct of trade or commerce for purposes of the State’s consumer protection act.
Firearms Policy Coalition Seeks Washington Residents as Plaintiffs
FPC Law, which plans to challenge the new WA state mag ban, is currently looking for potential plaintiffs who are Washington residents residing in one of the following counties: Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, and Whatcom. Contact FPC Law at 2AHotline.com if you may be interested in being a plaintiff.
About the Firearms Policy Coalition
The Firearms Policy Coalition (firearmspolicy.org), is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization set up to defend constitutional rights and restore freedom. FPC’s efforts are focused on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and adjacent issues including freedom of speech, due process, unlawful searches and seizures, separation of powers, asset forfeitures, privacy, encryption, and limited government. FPC Law (FPCLaw.org) claims the nation’s largest public interest legal team focused on the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and Second Amendment litigation.
Can you guess what your next barrel will weigh? In many competition disciplines, “making weight” is a serious concern when putting together a new match rifle. A Light Varmint short-range Benchrest rifle cannot exceed 10.5 pounds including scope. An F-TR rifle is limited to 18 pounds, 2 oz. (8.25 kg) with bipod.
