06/05/2026
Never thought the day would come when the UK had more sensible gun laws than Australia!
🇬🇧 The United Kingdom is moving to deregulate silencers.
Yes, the UK Government has now formally introduced legislation to remove silencers from fi****ms licensing requirements in England and Wales, recognising what hunters, farmers and shooting organisations have argued for years: silencers are not a public safety threat.
They are practical safety equipment that can:
• Reduce hearing damage
• Minimise noise impacts on neighbours and livestock
• Improve shooter comfort and accuracy
• Support cleaner, more humane shot placement
Meanwhile, Australia remains a clear international outlier on the issue.
Across much of Europe, Scandinavia and New Zealand, silencers are widely accepted and commonly used by hunters and pest controllers. In many places they are actively encouraged as an occupational health and safety measure.
Here, the debate is still too often dominated by Hollywood mythology rather than evidence.
To be clear, the timing for this discussion in Victoria is probably not perfect given the current fi****ms law review and broader national climate following Bondi. But evidence-based policy discussions should still be able to occur.
Silencers do not make fi****ms “silent”. They simply reduce muzzle blast to safer and more manageable levels. Internationally, there is little credible evidence that licensed civilian access to silencers presents a meaningful public safety risk.
These aren’t always politically easy conversations, but SSAA Victoria has never shied away from advocating for sensible reforms simply because they may not be fashionable.
The UK’s decision shows this issue is increasingly being approached pragmatically overseas. Eventually, Australia will need to have that conversation too. As it does with access and economic development of shooting and hunting, it makes sense that Victoria should lead the way.
👉 Read more at:
https://ssaavic.com.au/uk-moves-to-deregulate-silencers-as-debate-continues-in-australia/