Explaining bump stocks, the legal gun modification owned by suspected Las Vegas shooter
What is a bump stock?
A bump-fire stock, or bump stock, is a modification used to greatly increase the speed at which semi-automatic weapons can be fired, making them fire at a rate closer to that of a machine gun.
"It works on recoil. When you have a semiautomatic, it will fire a round every time you pull the trigger. If you have a bump stock, all you have to do is keep your finger on the trigger," said John Anderson, owner of Delmont Sport Shop.
The stock of a rifle, the part that is braced against the shoulder, is usually rigid. Bump stocks replace this with a sliding part. When a semiautomatic rifle with a bump stock is fired, the recoil rapidly slides the rifle back and forth, repeatedly "bumping" the trigger into the shooter's stationary finger, firing an additional shot each time.
Why are bump stocks in the news?
Stephen Paddock, the 64-year-old man accused of killing 58 people on the Las Vegas Strip Sunday, had 12 bump stocks in his hotel room, along with at least 23 guns, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. In video footage from the shooting, very rapid gunshots can be heard.
Are they legal?
Yes.
Automatic weapons are heavily restricted in the United States, and it is illegal to modify semiautomatic guns to enable fully automatic fire. However, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ruled that bump stocks are not subject to these laws Bump stocks don't alter the mechanics behind how a gun fires, which is what matters under federal law, according to the ATF. The shooter still has to pull the trigger each time, although the bump stock makes this happen faster than would normally be possible.
Where can they be purchased?
Bump stocks are available online for about $300, but you're unlikely to see them in local gun stores.
"I see no reason for anybody to have one," said Anderson. "Most people don't sell them. These people go these online stores and get this junk. Most stores don't handle it."
Most bump stocks are made for AR-15 and AK-47 rifles, which can be easily and legally modified by gun enthusiasts. Bump stocks aren't the type of product the average gun-buyer is looking for, said Randall Seitzinger, owner of Seitzinger Rifle Smith in West Newton.
"I don't carry them in my stock. Basically you can buy them and install them yourself. AR-15s are very modular, you can work on them yourself," he said.
Bump stocks are not subject to the strict regulations governing the sale of firearms across state lines.
How have lawmakers reacted?
Numerous lawmakers have called for restrictions on bump stocks in response to Sunday's shooting.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, introduced a bill Wednesday that would ban their sale or use.
Automatic weapons are illegal, but devices like bump stocks that modify a gun to fire at fully-automatic rates ARE legal. That makes no sense. We introduced a bill today to close that loophole. https://t.co/YYAJADDovR
" Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) October 4, 2017
"Closing this loophole actually should not be a partisan or political issue. There's been broad agreement for decades that automatic weapons should not be legal, and what we said was an automatic weapon being used," she said in a news conference Wednesday.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said on Twitter Wednesday he will cosponsor the bill.
I will be cosponsoring legislation unveiled today that will ban 'bump stocks.' https://t.co/z6XgdJu3ls
" Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) October 4, 2017
"Congress has an obligation to implement laws that make people safer. This legislation would close a dangerous loophole that makes it all too easy to create DIY automatic weapons," Casey said in a statement.
Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646, jtierney@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Soolseem.
