On Monday, the American Suppressor Association Foundation and Silencer Shop filed a lawsuit to overturn Illinois’ ban on firearm suppressors. It’s yet another front opened up against the clearly over-matched and under-skilled Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
SPRINGFIELD, IL – On February 27th, the American Suppressor Association Foundation (ASA-F) and Silencer Shop helped file a lawsuit against the State of Illinois, alleging that Illinois’ ban on suppressor ownership and possession is an unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment.
“The American Suppressor Association Foundation has always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding Americans to possess and own suppressors. After last summer’s Bruen ruling, we knew it was time to get to work on a case that would apply the Second Amendment’s protections to the States,” said Knox Williams, ASA-F’s Executive Director.
“This case argues that suppressors are covered by the Second Amendment’s protection of the right to keep and bear arms, and that Illinois’ flat-out ban on suppressor ownership is therefore unconstitutional,” said Chris Boeck, ASA-F Board Member and General Counsel of Silencer Shop. “We’re optimistic the courts will agree with our interpretation, and extend the right to own suppressors to the people of Illinois. Suppressors offer critical hearing protection, reduce recoil, and improve accuracy. They facilitate communication and situational awareness while hunting, at the range, and during urgent moments of self-defense. They make firearms safer.”
Williams continued, “the standard of review laid out by the Supreme Court in its Bruen decision last summer requires Illinois to justify its ban on suppressor ownership by showing that the ban is consistent with ‘the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.’ Since there has never been a nationwide ban on suppressor ownership, and since suppressors are neither dangerous nor unusual, we are confident that Illinois will not be able to justify its ban to the court.”
Illinois’ ban on suppressors is on borrowed time. ASA-F and Silencer Shop are confident that this lawsuit will open up the door to legal suppressor ownership in the Prairie State.
YES! I have wondered for my entire life what the rationale for this nonsense is. I can here the cries of the left already, however. ‘How will we use our precious shot-spotter technology if all the gang bangers have silencers on their fully auto Glocks? We MUST ban everything because of the misuse by a few low-life whom we refuse to put in jail or punish in any way’.
You see the recent news about how El Salvador is dealing with habitual gang bangers? You go to a maximum prison, forever. You leave when you die. Period.