Anti-Hunters Admit They Even Want to Ban Muzzleloaders

A very common divide-and-conquer strategy of the gun prohibitionists is to claim they are not interested in banning or further restricting guns used by hunters. It’s only those evil “black guns” they want banned.

During his second run for the U.S. Presidency, for example, Barrack Obama claimed to support the Second Amendment during a debate. He clearly was hoping for sportsmen and women to support him when he added, “We’ve got a long tradition of hunting and sportsmen and people who want to make sure they can protect themselves. …” Yet later he also stated more than once that “weapons designed for soldiers” shouldn’t be available to civilians.

Translation: I won’t take away your “hunting” guns, but I want to take away your AR’s and similar firearms, which you hunters won’t mind. (Notwithstanding the fact that millions of hunters have and continue to use AR-style rifles for hunting—but that’s another issue.)

Now though, one group of gun-banners has admitted the truth: They are going after all our firearms—yes, even muzzleloaders.

The group is Giffords, formerly known as Americans for Responsible Solutions. The group recently put out a new document naming muzzleloaders as one of the products it says should be banned, particularly those of the .50 caliber variety.

“This weapon is designed with a built-in device to suppress its sound,” the document reads. “If any other firearm were built with such a device, it would be subject to the NFA [National Firearms Act] as a silencer. But since this device is designed to suppress the sound of something that is exempt from federal firearms laws, it is not considered a silencer and not subject to the NFA. In fact, it is not subject to any laws at all and can be bought online.”

There are so many inaccuracies that one doesn’t know where to begin. But let’s start with the statement that a standard .50 caliber muzzleloader “is designed with a built-in device to suppress its sound.” In truth, the overwhelming majority of muzzleloading rifles are not so designed. It is true that very recently SilencerCo debuted the Maxim 50, which is an integrally suppressed muzzleloader, but it is the only commercially available muzzleloader available with a built-in suppressor out of the numerous models for sale across America.

"Giffords group, among other gun control groups, are anti-gun and anti-Second Amendment,” said Josh Waldron, CEO of SilencerCo and a founding member of the NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum.  “Coming out against a muzzleloader shows their true colors. They don't want to regulate or control guns, they want to outright ban them. They want to take guns away from law abiding citizens and strip away our human right to self protection. They want to destroy the Constitution. Make no mistake, that's who these gun control groups are... anti-America."

As American hunters and shooters are aware, muzzleloaders also are subject to laws and regulations. And if muzzleloaders were so effective in committing crimes, wouldn’t they already be in regular use by everyone from gang members and terrorists to mass murderers and other criminals? 

But they are not—for obvious reasons. Instead, muzzleloaders are popular hunting firearms that also happen to be used by recreational and competitive shooters and historical re-enactors.

Hunters embrace the Second Amendment—yet we also understand that while it protects hunters that it is a clear testament to the civil right all law-abiding Americans possess. This is why ploys such as the one former President Obama used to try and divide hunters from other Second Amendment advocates will continue to fail. 

Maybe, though, we should acknowledge the anti-gun, anti-hunting groups out there for finally telling the truth?  They really do want all firearms banned for law-abiding Americans—even our single-shot, muzzle-loading rifles.

For more information on Giffords’ move to ban muzzleloaders, visit the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) website or click here.