Posted on 03/10/2018 12:47:25 PM PST by Simon Green
In the post-Parkland hysteria, President Trump directed the Department of Justice to perform some regulatory legerdemain where bump fire stocks are concerned. The ATF had long ago passed on the stocks, deeming them perfectly legal accessories for semi-automatic rifles. Now, in a Saturday morning move apparently meant to fly under the radar . . .
The U.S. Department of Justice formally submitted a regulation on Saturday to ban “bump stocks,” a modification to high-capacity rifles that lets them fire like an automatic weapon.
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum in February directing the department to make the regulatory change, which must now be approved by the Office of Management and Budget before it is published and subject to a commentary period.
Nothing to worry about though…that will never get through Congress! Au contraire, mon frere.
The move does not require congressional approval, allowing the administration to side-step what could have been insurmountable pressure from pro-gun groups such as the National Rifle Association that have worked to erode changes in firearm laws in the wake of mass shootings in Florida and Nevada.
It’s no biggie, though. Really, now many people own, or even want a bump fire stock? This won’t affect me!
Think again. If the DOJ can use regulatory fiat to bring their ban hammer down on bump fire stocks, magically deeming them machine guns, what’s to stop this or, more likely, some future administration from deciding that “high-capacity” 30-round magazines are also unacceptable modifications that facilitate “unnecessary” rates of fire? Or lighter, drop-in triggers? Anything that could plausibly be argued to increase a gun’s “standard” rate of fire.
The NRA was on board with regulating bump fire stocks in theory, but hadn’t signed on to this particular move. This sets a terrible regulatory precedent that will almost surely be expanded and abused again down the road. Will the NRA sue? Will SAF or the GOA?
We haven’t been able to get our mitts on the new DOJ regulatory language yet, but will publish it when it’s available. Stay tuned.
I didn't bring up the skill level of the shooter in question, but since you have....I'm hardly an experienced shooter, but I can dump a 30 round mag in about 6 seconds.
Given that, I have a question I hope you'll answer: What restrictions (if any) would you like to see added to make it more difficult to own AR-15s and other similar weapons?
“What restrictions (if any) would you like to see added to make it more difficult to own AR-15s and other similar weapons?”
None, zero...nothing! As I said earlier, the bump stock issue was going to happen as soon as they first made it. I also don’t like raising the age to 21 when you can serve(and die) for your country at a younger age. Age 21 was just an arbitrary number they reached for. I think a yesterdays 21 yr old is today’s 17 year old.
There's bigger battles to fight here and bump stocks just don't figure into the picture.............
I’m afraid a lot of people are moving in that direction.
They will never vote Dem, but the enthusiasm is waning and at this rate they’ll stay home on election night.
Just to be clear, the bump stock is too easily seen as a workaround to get to an automatic weapon. Just like aftermarket products before have been banned. That’s the issue when trying to explain it to the general public and why I think President Trump and Gov. Scott made their decision.
Yes I remember that. I remember when they were looking for the bombers door to door and seeing the Hummers with belt fed machine guns rolling down the street and hundreds of military looking "cops" all armed with rifles. It did not look like any scene that could ever happen in the USA. Really turned my stomach seeing that. They caught the guys but wow what a display of...something.
If you read the letter of the law, bump fire is not an automatic weapon. It is both illegal and unethical to pretend that it is, and I hope this will be challenged successfully in court. Words have meaning.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/5845
The term “machinegun” means any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily restored to shoot, automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. The term shall also include the frame or receiver of any such weapon, any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun, and any combination of parts from which a machinegun can be assembled if such parts are in the possession or under the control of a person.
Bump fire does not qualify under the law as written. They need a new unconstitutional law to ban/regulate them, since the current unconstitutional law falls short.
Do you really think this will appease the gun grabbers? Every post I've seen on this subject on liberal message boards boils down to: "This is just the beginning! Ban assault weapons! Ban high capacity magazines! Ban ALL semiautos!"
Which just goes to prove that gun control isn’t about safety. It’s about control. If they could, they would remove all guns from private citizens. As I remind people, the British tried to take our guns away long ago, they got shot.
” It did not look like any scene that could ever happen in the USA. Really turned my stomach seeing that. “
That’s it! My wife and me thought it looked like the battle of Fallujah...just knowing that the vast majority of those all weaponed up really shouldn’t have that kind of equipment...shit THAT’s a good reason for the average American to have an automatic weapon...I just thought these guys all wired up, could come flying through my door for a cheap warrant.
Was it a “workaround” when gun manufacturers made “featureless” AR-15s to comply with the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, or were they simply following the law?
“Was it a “workaround”
I don’t know, was it? Seems to me they were working within the law. Some years ago wasn’t there machined items that could change the handling of cartridges into and out of the weapon’s barrel chamber
“Auto fire is a way to miss the target a lot. Bump-fire is a way to miss it even more”
Yup..watch the lady, third one down...she proves your point well:)
http://slidefire.com/videos/
You are correct that many NRA members support things like bump stock and hi capacity magazine bans, etc. Maybe the NRA needs to educate their members as to why these things are important even if it does not effect them personally?
Funny how that happens, ain’t it?
They’re just doing the gun control that the Democrats couldn’t get done when they had the WH, Senate AND House.
But hey... It’s ok, like I said. These guys are on OUR side. So we should just bend over and take it, I guess, and be glad they have an (R) after their name.
Will
Not
Comply
“...You consider the EPA, FEMA and The Department of Education law enforcement? Why do they have machine guns? ..”
Let’s be even MORE precise: Why should PUBLIC SERVANTS have fully automatic weapons and the American Citizens that PAY THEIR SALARIES be denied those same tools - tools, which by the way - are Constitutional rights.
Today it’s the bump stock. Tomorrow, it’ll be something else, and the day after that, another something that makes them wet themselves.
I don’t care if there’s an (R) or a (D) after the name - if they f*** with our Rights, they are the enemy.
Great book! Not always easy to find though. I had mime on order a couple of years ago for well over a month before it came in.
“Maybe the NRA needs to educate their members as to why these things are important even if it does not effect them personally?”
I think the NRA is just choosing which hills to make their stands on. Maybe it has to do to the influx of new gun owners, who I’m guessing are more interested in small, light defensive firearms like the “Baby Glocks”. For a lot of them it’s a big step, certainly for many of the women. I think the NRA is trying to thread the needle with the new members and the true well educated shooters. If the NRA becomes the bad guy in all this, it will hurt them going forward. They like where they stand in our society right now.
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