When anti-gun media try to attack gun owners and the Second Amendment, they usually end up proving our point. That’s exactly what happened with a recent New York Times article about indoor shooting ranges — and Mark Smith from Four Boxes Diner was quick to catch it.
The NYT’s “Gun Range Danger” Backfire
The Times ran a story claiming that civilian shooters may risk concussions or brain injuries from pressure waves created when firing guns indoors. Reporters even went as far as to fire a .50 caliber rifle inside an enclosed range to measure the “blast pressure” on the shooter’s body and head.
Unsurprisingly, that experiment produced the most intense readings. The .50 BMG round exceeded the 4.0 PSI safety threshold set by the military. Every other firearm tested, from .45 ACP pistols to AR-15s, fell well below that level. In short, the story was built around an absurd premise. It was built to scare the uninformed readership of the Times, a classic tactic of anti-gun mainstream media.
In doing so, the Times accidentally delivered one of the best pro-gun arguments of the year.
The “Fix” They Accidentally Endorsed
Buried near the bottom of the article, the Times admitted there’s a simple way to make shooting safer:
“Attaching a suppressor or blast regulator to the muzzle to direct the blast forward and away from the shooter can also make a big difference.”
Their own data showed that the pressure from an AR-15 indoors dropped from 1.7 PSI to less than 0.5 PSI when a suppressor or blast regulator was attached. That’s a massive reduction — and a direct acknowledgment that suppressors protect shooters’ hearing and health.
In one sentence, the New York Times undercut decades of anti-gun fearmongering. Suppressors aren’t “assassin tools” — they’re safety equipment used by law enforcement, the military, and responsible civilians alike.
Mark Smith was right to call this a “gift.” Statements like these will end up in legal briefs, congressional debates, and future court cases defending suppressor rights under the Second Amendment. Even the anti-gun press has now admitted — in writing — that suppressors serve an important safety function.
It’s ironic that while gun control advocates push to keep suppressors on the National Firearms Act registry, their own allies in the media are publishing proof that these devices make shooting safer for everyone.
For decades, gun owners have argued that suppressors aren’t sinister gadgets—they’re safety gear: hearing protection, blast mitigation, recoil reduction, and general range-improvement tools. And despite the usual drumbeat from anti-gun media, the facts have always supported that.
Now, thanks to recent legislative changes, those arguments aren’t just rhetorical—they’ve got legislative backing. The $200 tax has been eliminated, but registration remains under the NFA. That alone dismantles one of the most significant economic hurdles to lawful suppressor ownership.
The National Firearms Act registry still exists, and that’s the real problem. The government has no constitutional authority to demand a list of who owns what. The Second Amendment doesn’t say “shall not be infringed, unless you fill out Form 4 and wait for approval.” It says shall not be infringed, period.
Suppressors are now recognized — even by the New York Times — as safety tools, not contraband. Yet the government still insists that ordinary Americans must register them like criminals. That’s not freedom. That’s control.
The next fight is clear: repeal the NFA. Restore the Second Amendment to what it was meant to be — an individual right that doesn’t require permission, taxes, or paperwork.
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The key to total rights restoration is simple really, keep the communists out of office. That requires each of us to exercise our solemn civic duty, vote every time we have the opportunity and make sure everyone in our circle of influence casts their ballots correctly. Don’t be like NYC or Seattle.
Last night I heard a pastor say the following: “Truth, thrown in to a pack of liars is received as a declaration of war.”
The first vision that came to my mind was the front page of the NYT.
The NFA registry brings up an issue that I am surprised has not been brought to SCOTUS.
The Firearm Owners Protection Act (FOPA) of 1986 prohibits the federal government from creating, compiling, or possessing a list of people who own guns. The NFA passed in 1934 is a list of people who own guns.
How has these two conflicting laws not been adjudicated in the courts yet.
All of the gun rights groups and the people who respect gun rights have never brought up that the 1986 FOPA law should make the NFA registry illegal?
“The $200 tax has been eliminated, but registration remains under the NFA. That alone dismantles one of the most significant economic hurdles to lawful suppressor ownership.” The $200 tax act was enacted in 1934. In todays money, that is the equivalent of $4,835 to own a suppressor. $200 in todays money is nominal. I am pretty sure very few people who want an suppressor are priced out by the $200 tax. My issue in not getting a Suppressor is the $200 tax. It is the registration that remains under the NFA. I imagine, statistically, people who own a single gun… Read more »
At some point unconstitutional acts need to be dealt with.
Whether it’s repealing unconstitutional laws or infringements.
For those that push these unconstitutional edicts…
Death by hangin’