President Donald Trump’s administration is moving forward with a bump stock ban, according to a new report.
The administration plans to announce in the next several days a federal rule banning the sale and use of bump stocks across the U.S., CNN is reporting, citing sources who claim to have knowledge of the administration’s plans. Once the rule is made, those who have bump stocks will need to destroy them or surrender them to law enforcement officials within 90 days, according to the report.
Bump stocks are attached to semi-automatic weapons and use the gun’s recoil to “bump” the trigger and allow for a faster rate of firing. Bump stocks don’t create a fully automatic firing speed, but come close. Since the Obama Administration, bump stocks have been classified as gun accessories that can be lawfully used.
However, bump stocks became a point of debate last year, after it was used in the horrific Las Vegas shooting that left 58 people dead. The bump stock allowed the shooter to increase the firing rate and maximize damage.
Soon after, President Trump said he would stamp out bump stocks, but was soon met with opposition from the National Rifle Association and other gun advocates, including Congresspeople.
Banning bump stocks could have been done in a legislative setting, but would have been met by opposition among those lawmakers. Opting to change a federal rule and classifying bump stocks as illegal sidesteps any lawmaker opposition.
Still, a rule change is subject to lawsuits that could hold up any ban. And it’s possible that gun advocates could attempt to overturn or just delay the ban through the court system.