Fifth Circuit Skeptical of Texas Challenge to Gun Silencer Rules

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is poised to block Texas’s challenge to federal restrictions on possessing gun silencers.

A three-judge panel on Wednesday seemed skeptical that three individuals seeking to make silencers or the state had standing in the case.

The Texas Legislature in 2021 passed a measure declaring that certain firearm suppressors, meant to dull the noise of a gunshot, aren’t covered by federal laws.

The bill, signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), also directed the Texas attorney general to seek a court order declaring that suppressors made for noncommercial use and that ...