Gun suppressors are getting popular in North Dakota

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - North Dakotans love the outdoors and pass their enjoyment of hunting on to their children. Standard equipment for some families are gun suppressors, which limit the sound and recoil of a weapon. But what are their benefits and legality in North Dakota?

Guns are so loud that without the proper protection, they can cause permanent hearing loss.

“As a cameraman, I’m sitting right next to the shooter, and if my brother shoots his .280 or .300, or whatever they’re shooting, and I’m sitting next to them, it makes the ground shake and it will ring your bell,” said John Arman, the host of Ultimate Outdoor Adventures.

The average gunshot produces 140-plus decibels, equivalent to a live rock concert or a tornado siren.

Gun suppressors help limit this noise by 30-40 decibels, equal to an all-terrain vehicle, a motorcycle or yelling at the top of your lungs.

For parents teaching their children to shoot or hunters who need their ears open in the field, gun suppressors can be a useful tool.

“Like my daughter will be sitting next to me, she shoots, the recoil, it takes away a lot of the recoil, I don’t know what the percentage is. But again, someone told me it just makes hunting and shooting so much more civilized, and that’s such a great way to put it,” said Arman.

Suppressors are legal in North Dakota as long as you follow the application process, which includes a fingerprint card, purchasing a tax stamp for $200 and passing a criminal background check.

“They dive into your full criminal background. And so, they will look at any arrests or any charges, any convictions, right, just to make sure there’s not a prohibiting factor of that — a felony, or whatever it might be,” said North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation Chief Agent Casey Miller.

Arman said getting a suppressor is not cheap, but the benefits are worth the cost and the wait to be approved.

The average wait time for electronic approval is 85 days, but hunters have seen approval in as little as three days.