What is a bump stock? Supreme Court strikes down ban on gun accessories

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

By a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled Friday that a federal ban on Bump Stocks, firearm accessories that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire faster, was illegal.

What is a bump stock?

A bump stock is a firearm accessory that allows a semi-automatic rifle to mimic the firing rate of a fully automatic weapon. It replaces the standard stock (the part of the weapon that rests against the shooter's shoulder) and allows the shooter to use the recoil of the weapon to “bump” the trigger into the finger, which can significantly increase the rate of fire. This is achieved by allowing the entire weapon to slide back and forth rapidly in the stock, causing the trigger to reset and fire again with each shock.

Here are the key points about bump stocks:

Functionality: Shock stocks harness the recoil energy produced when the weapon is fired, using it to move the firearm back and forth in the stock. This rapid movement allows for a higher rate of fire without the need for multiple trigger presses.
Legality: The legality of bump stocks has been a controversial topic. They were banned in the United States following a directive from the Trump administration after the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, in which a shooter used rifles equipped with shock stocks to kill 58 people and injure hundreds. others. The ban, enacted in December 2018, classified Bump Stocks as machine guns under federal law, thus prohibiting their possession, sale or manufacture.
Use: Although bump stocks do not convert a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon, they allow a similar rate of fire. Fully automatic weapons are tightly regulated and generally banned from civilian use in many places, making bump stocks a controversial solution to these restrictions.

Ban challenged by Texas gun store owner

Michael Cargill, a gun store owner and gun rights advocate from Austin, Texas, sued the government over the ban. The 5th U.S. Court of Appeals sided with Cargill, and the Biden administration appealed.

In its ruling, the appeals court said the government sought to ban bump stocks “by administrative fiat” even though the ATF had previously authorized such devices.

The case has been of great concern to gun rights advocates, who have pointed out that hundreds of thousands of Americans own bulk stocks, relying on government determinations before 2018 that they are allowed .

Advocates also feared that if the ATF won the case, the agency would go after semiautomatic weapons.

Gun control groups call bump stocks a “unique danger to society.”

Similarly, the American Medical Association, whose members said they witnessed the “tremendous human carnage, destruction and chaos” caused by rapid-fire bullets, said firearms modified by Shock stocks “have no place in a civilized society”.

Supreme Court justices disagree on ruling

Bump stocks have been the subject of a contentious debate at the highest court. Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, said a firearm equipped with this accessory is not considered a machine gun under federal law.

Lina Portman

Related Articles

Family 'deeply concerned' for welfare of missing Hamilton teen

YouTuber faces federal charges over alleged helicopter stunt

Teenager in critical condition and three others injured after car leaves South Lanarkshire road and burns | UK News

Police officer 'beats teenager' for fighting with son