In an odd turn of events, President Donald Trump has helped move along a bill that will ban “bump stocks”, the much-maligned firearm accessory that was used in the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas as well as in the Parkland, Florida massacre in 2018.
These controversial devices essentially allow rifles to fire more quickly, making their firing speed more similar to a machine gun. Also known as slide fire adapters, bump stocks have been in the limelight for months and have provided liberal news media with plenty of fodder for tirades on the air waves.
Perhaps you’ve heard the term and have a general idea what bump stocks are, but let’s also talk about what they’re not. “Bump firing” mechanisms are relatively easy to create without a specialized stock, something that many gun owners see as gimmicky. Oddly enough, bump stocks aren’t even particularly popular and aren’t beloved by shooting ranges, either. The devices can make weapons more difficult to control, something that careful gun owners try to avoid. Even the NRA doesn’t mind tighter regulations on the devices, which essentially allow the weapon to slide back and forth by harnessing the energy from a firing gun.
But let’s be very clear about one thing: the stocks do not turn any rifle into a machine gun — far from it, in fact. While they do accelerate the time between bullets leaving the weapon, the modified firearms still fire significantly more slowly than a fully automatic weapon. Bump stocks are most often found on AR and AK gun models.
According to the White House, the final date to turn in or destroy bump stocks is March 21, 2019. This date is likely to change as there are already numerous lawsuits in the works as Americans fight back against this ban on slide fire adapters. Lawmakers estimate that there are over 10,000 devices in American homes, all of which will need to be turned in for civilians to stay compliant with the new laws.
President Trump’s unexpected stance on bump stocks is that Americans “can do without them” and that they won’t significantly impede the rights of firearm owners. While this may be the case for this particular regulation, it could easily open the tide for additional legislation in the future if the White House is not headed by a Second Amendment-friendly President.
While the ban is unlikely to have a major impact on sales since bump stocks have not been popular since the mid-1980s, there are still concerns that the government is overstepping their rights by taking away personal property that has been purchased and paid for by individuals without offering any type of compensation. While law-abiding individuals are likely to turn in their bump stocks, the people that are likely to cause harm with them aren’t likely to follow suit.
~ Firearm Daily