Federal ban on bump stocks goes into effect Tuesday
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Federal officials say it was a bump stock attached to a semi-automatic rifle that allowed a gunman to get off several hundred rounds in Las Vegas on Oct. 1, 2017.
The gunman opened fire from a hotel window and, in a very short period of time, he killed 58 people and wounded 500 more. The heinous act prompted a new federal rule banning bump stocks.
A bump stock uses the recoil from the rifle to fire multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger, essentially turning a modern sports rifle, such as the AR or AK-47, into a machine gun. Soon after the Las Vegas shooting, Indiana state Sen. Greg Taylor introduced a bill that mirrors the current federal ban. He told News 8 that automatic weapons should be reserved for the battlefield.
“Which should only be used in times of war. Let’s just remember that’s why they were, so you could fire off as many as you could in a short period of time. And why would you need to do that if you are just going to the firing range?” said the Democrat from Indianapolis.
Taylor says he owns an AR-15 and understands the arguments for not banning bump stocks. He also said these stocks are an accessory.
“I want to make something very clear. It is not the government coming in and taking your guns. This is not a gun. This is an adaptation to a gun,” Taylor said.
The ban requires bump stock owners to do one of two things:
- Surrender the stock to a local Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives office. They are asking people to call first.
- Cut up the bump stock. There are instructions on the ATF website on how to do so safely.
The ban has been challenged in court, and, so far, the courts have up held the ban.