Virginia gun owners just handed anti-2A forces a resounding defeat, tabling HB 207—a sneaky $500 tax on suppressors—in committee with a unanimous vote. Thanks to powerhouse testimony from the American Suppressor Association (ASA) and Gun Owners of America (GOA), lawmakers saw through the revenue-grab disguised as public safety. This wasn’t some fringe win; it was a masterclass in grassroots mobilization, where everyday shooters flooded the capitol with facts, drowning out the usual nanny-state noise about silencer violence. Suppressors, those hearing-saving tubes demonized by Hollywood myths, remain tax-free in the Old Dominion, proving once again that informed testimony trumps emotional hysteria.
Dig deeper, and this victory exposes the playbook of gun controllers: slap exorbitant fees on accessories to price them out of reach, all while ignoring ATF’s $200 NFA tax that’s already a unconstitutional relic from 1934. HB 207 mirrored schemes in states like Illinois and New York, where suppressor bans or taxes have stifled innovation and self-defense. Virginia’s rejection sends a chill through Bloomberg-funded lobbies—after all, the Commonwealth flipped from purple to red-leaning post-2020, with pro-gun majorities flexing muscle. ASA’s data on suppressors reducing noise by 30-40 decibels (safer than a jackhammer) and zero link to crime flipped the script, reminding pols that 2A isn’t negotiable.
For the broader 2A community, this is rocket fuel: it validates the suppressor reform push via the Hearing Protection Act, stalled in Congress but gaining steam with SCOTUS’s Bruen ripple effects. Gun owners nationwide should take notes—join ASA or GOA, hit committee hearings hard, and arm yourselves with stats. Virginia’s win isn’t isolated; it’s a blueprint for crushing similar bills in red states like Texas and Florida. Stay vigilant, because the grabbers never sleep, but neither do we. Victory in the Commonwealth—let’s make it the norm.
