Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

DoJ Rules That Bump Fire Stocks Are Now Machine Guns, Fall Under NFA Regulation
The Truth About Guns ^ | 11/15/18 | Dan Zimmerman

Posted on 11/15/2018 8:06:39 AM PST by Simon Green

“The Department of Justice is issuing a rulemaking that would interpret the statutory definition of machine gun in the National Firearms Act of 1934 and Gun Control Act of 1968 to clarify whether certain devices, commonly known as bump-fire stocks, fall within that definition.”

That’s the intro (or “abstract”) to the DoJ’s newly issued public rule following their re-examination of the classification of bump fire stocks. This, of course, was done after last year’s Las Vegas Mandalay Bay shooting in which 58 people were killed and hundreds more were injured. That was the only crime in which a bump fire stock had ever been used.

The ATF had issued an approval letter to SlideFire for their bump fire stock back in 2010 that read, in part:

“The stock has no automatically functioning mechanical parts or springs and performs no automatic mechanical function when installed. … Accordingly, we find that the ‘bump-stock’ is a firearm part and is not regulated as a firearm under Gun Control Act or the National Firearms Act.”

That was, of course, the correct ruling under the law as written.

In February, however, President Trump directed Justice to take another look at them, a move that was supported at the time by the NRA. He apparently wanted the ATF to look deeply into the emanations and penumbras of the law to see if, just maybe, there was a way to look at bump fire stocks in a whole new way.

Well, take another look they have, and — to the surprise of no one — now that we’re past the midterms, the DoJ has now classified bump fire stocks as NFA-regulated items, the legal equivalent of a machine gun.

This rule is intended to clarify that the statutory definition of machinegun includes certain devices (i.e., bump-stock-type devices) that, when affixed to a firearm, allow that firearm to fire automatically with a single function of the trigger, such that they are subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act (NFA) and the Gun Control Act (GCA). The rule will amend 27 CFR 447.11, 478.11, and 479.11 to clarify that bump-stock-type devices are machineguns as defined by the NFA and GCA because such devices allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger. Specifically, these devices convert an otherwise semiautomatic firearm into a machinegun by functioning as a self-acting or self-regulating mechanism that harnesses the recoil energy of the semiautomatic firearm in a manner that allows the trigger to reset and continue firing without additional physical manipulation of the trigger by the shooter.

You can read the full rule here.

There’s only one problem. As stated above,

…such devices allow a shooter of a semiautomatic firearm to initiate a continuous firing cycle with a single pull of the trigger.

That’s demonstrably false. As anyone who’s used one can tell you, a bump fire stock slides back and forth, allowing the shooter to pull the trigger faster. But the rifle still fires only one round per trigger pull. It may simulate rapid fire approximating what a fully automatic weapon does, but it’s still semi-automatic.

That, of course, was the basis for the ATF’s original approval eight years ago. But the law and the facts apparently aren’t in play when there are larger, political considerations.

From the rule’s costs and benefits section:

This rule provides significant non-quantifiable benefits to public safety. Among other things, it clarifies that a bump-stock-type device is a machinegun and limits access to them; prevents usage of bump-stock-type devices for criminal purposes; reduces casualties in mass shootings, such as the Las Vegas shooting; and helps protect first responders by preventing shooters from using a device that allows them to shoot a semiautomatic firearm automatically.

Just how the DoJ plans to handle the millions of unregistered bump fire stocks that are already owned by the public isn’t clear.

So far, there’s no word from the administration as to when they intend to begin the notice and comment process on the proposed reclassification of rubber bands as machine guns, but we’ll keep you informed.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist; doj
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-78 next last
President Trump has now implemented more gun control in his first two years than Obama did in eight.
1 posted on 11/15/2018 8:06:39 AM PST by Simon Green
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Better outlaw those evil rubber bands, too.


2 posted on 11/15/2018 8:07:26 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (Democracy dies when Democrats refuse to accept the result of a democratic election they didn't win.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Thank Sessions.

“Q”


3 posted on 11/15/2018 8:08:14 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Since when does the DOJ issue definitions of NFA? That has been the authority of the AFT, a branch of the Treasury department.


4 posted on 11/15/2018 8:12:23 AM PST by DesertRhino (Dog is man's best friend, and moslems hate dogs. Add that up. ....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Many of the AR-15s displayed by the Clark County Sheriff had bi-pods on them. Wouldn’t this negate the advantage of a “bump fire stock?” The weapon could not “recoil” sufficiently to re-charge it, I wouldn’t think. But I’ve never owned a bump stock.


5 posted on 11/15/2018 8:16:40 AM PST by donozark (There are no flamingos in Venezuela.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMind

He is gone, or didn’t you get the memo???


6 posted on 11/15/2018 8:17:39 AM PST by gov_bean_ counter (Ruth Bader Ginsburg doctor is a taxidermist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

No delegated power for the NFA. It’s all just progressive lawlessness.


7 posted on 11/15/2018 8:20:54 AM PST by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Department of Justice issued ...

Cowardly bureaucrats. Just like the leftist editorial boards. I want names; they are pubic servants after all. If we had the names, we could at least complain to our elected representatives, sign petitions etc.

Oh, I’ll just leave the tying error.


8 posted on 11/15/2018 8:23:00 AM PST by grumpygresh (Abolish administrative law. It's regressive, medieval and unconstitutional!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Rubber bands are far superior to bump-stocks.


9 posted on 11/15/2018 8:25:41 AM PST by waterhill (I Shall Remain, in spite of __________.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Idiocy aside, I note that the ruling says “When attached to a firearm”.

So, it is legal when not attached.

This is more of that idiotic stuff, like the ATF claiming that a wrist-brace for a pistol AR is legal, but the second you SHOULDER it, it becomes an SBR.


10 posted on 11/15/2018 8:28:04 AM PST by Lazamataz (A political class that does not follow (and isn't accountable) to law, is a recipe for dictatorship.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Read the description - it is FALSE.

While using a bump stock, the fire arm remains semi-automatic. To fire a round, it still requires that the trigger be manually operated.

Time for a lawsuit - which 2nd amendment group is going to file? I kind of doubt that it will be the NRA.


11 posted on 11/15/2018 8:29:58 AM PST by taxcontrol
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Technically true I guess


12 posted on 11/15/2018 8:31:52 AM PST by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

“Better outlaw those evil rubber bands, too.”

Are shoe strings in or out today? They have been all over the BATFE map in the past.


13 posted on 11/15/2018 8:32:49 AM PST by jeffersondem
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

“President Trump has now implemented more gun control in his first two years than Obama did in eight”

He didn’t...Sessions did.


14 posted on 11/15/2018 8:33:01 AM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: waterhill

Whatever you do, DO NOT tell them about belt loops!


15 posted on 11/15/2018 8:33:45 AM PST by Envisioning (Carry safe, always carry, everyday, everywhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Read where you can achieve the same thing with bungee cords.


16 posted on 11/15/2018 8:34:46 AM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: waterhill

Thanks. You’ve just given the feds the justification to arrest anyone they want if that person is in possession of a rubber band. And I don’t make that statement lightly. Stupider things have happened.


17 posted on 11/15/2018 8:35:50 AM PST by Pecos (Better the one you have with you than the one you left at home.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Rurudyne
Here's a perspective you should be ready to deal with. I'm a constitutionalist, firm believer in 2nd amendment, but have zero interaction with firearms. I hunted on the farm as a kid, and am considering purchase of a handgun for protection, but this action does not concern me.

I understand the ignorance of the general public as it pertains to guns, automatics, etc. I mention this because I'm sure a huge portion of the population shares my sentiment. They ( and I ) think this is no big deal.

The perception of these twice-monthly mass shootings is becoming a problem. Facts won't matter. It's becoming an issue, and I suspect will become more of an elective issue for conservatives. DJT seems to be on the verge of tweaking gun laws to stem the blowback. So, imho, this and tweaks to enforcement, and mental health evaluations are pre-emptive and perhaps helpful 1st steps.

Please advise why I'm misguided, and then evaluate if your argument will hold up against the anti-gunners out there.

18 posted on 11/15/2018 8:36:32 AM PST by chiller (Race should be irrelevant in these United States; just shades of skin color.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Simon Green

Trump did no such thing, and you damn well know it.


19 posted on 11/15/2018 8:36:55 AM PST by JME_FAN (If you lived here, you'd be home by now.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grumpygresh

Next thing you know the sons of bitches will re-classify revolvers as NFA.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WzHG-ibZaKM


20 posted on 11/15/2018 8:38:40 AM PST by Bonemaker (invictus maneo)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-78 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson