100% WIN: Media attends range day; suppressor myths dispelled

Shooting sports are safe and fun.

That’s precisely what a gaggle of media representatives found out in the past few days at a police range near Springfield.  At least seven news outlets were present as the NRA-ILA’s man in Springfield, Todd Vandermyde, gave a no-nonsense demonstration of how suppressors really work.

The “cans” (as suppressors are sometimes nicknamed) were donated by SilencerCo, who along with other members of the American Suppressor Association are doing great work educating the media and politicians on the facts about suppressors.  They are working alongside the National Rifle Association, Guns Save Life and the Illinois State Rifle Association to pass a measure to allow civilian ownership of these devices that are legal to use in almost 40 states.  Most of the opposition to legalizing suppressors for civilian use in Illinois revolves around Hollywood fiction and irrational fears.

There has been some misinformation flowing from opponents of the law’s change.  This misinformation comes primarily from the Illinois Coalition Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) and other also-ran Illinois anti-gun groups struggling for relevancy.

Once again, these paid gun control shills are as wrong in their fears and misinformation about suppressors as they have been wrong about everything else in the past.  There’s no blood running in the streets now that we have right-to-carry.  There’s not even an increase in violence limited to places where card-carrying good guys in Illinois can carry their guns – the violence has instead migrated upward in “no guns” locations where bad guys know they won’t face a good guy with a gun.

Here is a short, unedited video of some of the back and forth between the media and Vandermyde:

After answering questions and providing the demonstration, Vandermyde invited the media reps to try their hand at shooting.  Several had never shot a gun before and it was a memorable day at work for them.  They had big grins as they fired those guns, both suppressed and conventionally.  They LOVED it.

Even the camera operators got a chance to do some shooting.

One of the reporters even put up a video of her shooting on her own personal Facebook page – that’s how excited they were.

Even the local cop got a chance to do some shooting as the media were packing up to head out.  He LOVED getting some trigger time on a suppressed AR.

Compare and contrast that home run event with the misinformation and weak reasons against legalization provided by the ICHV and their ilk.

Here are a couple of the stories from the event:

Gun silencers demonstrated for media

SPRINGFIELD (Decatur Herald and Review) – Hoping to trigger support for a law legalizing gun silencers, an Illinois firearms lobbyist said Monday there is a difference between the way Hollywood portrays suppressors and how they actually work and sound.

Todd Vandermyde, a key architect of the state’s concealed carry law, took members of the Central Illinois media to the Athens Police Department’s gun range Monday and had them listen to the difference in the ways guns sound with and without a suppressor. Reporters then tested the guns.

“So what this is all about is we’ve had some legislation pending in the statehouse to legalize suppressors in Illinois,” Vandermyde said. “Suppressors are the industry term for what a lot of people call silencers. They’re called suppressors because they don’t really silence the sound of the gun, they suppress it.”

Thirty-nine states allow some form of legal possession of suppressors. Vandermyde said suppressors help limit the noise from neighbors who are shooting on their own land or hunting and helps give peace to neighbors of gun ranges. They are also helpful to those who are shooting the firearms, especially if ear protection is not being worn.

And another:

(WICS) – More than a year after the gun lobby successfully pushed for concealed carry here in Illinois, it’s now focused on a new issue – legalizing gun suppressors.

Gun suppressors are legal in 39 other states. Advocates say it will help with noise complaints and help with hearing problems that can come with shooting. And those working to change the law say the tools come with a lot of misconceptions.

Gun suppressors are most commonly seen in movies and gun rights advocates say that’s not an accurate representation.

Nice going, Todd.

It’ll be hard for ICHV to continue to dupe these mainstream media reporters in the future, not only on the suppressor issue, but whatever else comes down the road.