Bump Stocks Ban Goes Into Effect in the U.S.

Bump stocks are no longer legal in the United States.

The Department of Justice issued the ruling in December 2018, banning all devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to fire continuously with just one pull of the trigger. Owners were given 90 days to turn in their bump stocks or destroy them. The period to do this ended on March 26. People with bump stock still in their possession after this date could face felony charges and up to 10 years in prison.

The Supreme Court received two emergency appeals on March 25, in hopes of halting the federal ban. Lawsuits have also been filed in several states including Washington, Ohio, Utah, and Michigan.

Bump stocks came under scrutiny after being used in a mass shooting in October 2017. A gunman fired more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition at a concert in Las Vegas. 58 people were killed. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Following the massacre, the Trump administration began reviewing bump stocks. Trump expressed his support for banning them in 2018.

In March 2018, the Justice Department proposed a rule classifying bump stocks as “machine guns,” which the federal government defines as fully automatic weapons.  

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