Should Bump Stock Modifications on Guns Be Allowed?

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Summary: Since the Las Vegas gunman used bump stocks on his semi-automatic guns to make them automatic, many are calling for a ban on the modification kits.

Currently, you can walk into a gun store and purchase a bump stock, turning your semi-automatic gun into a fully-automatic weapon and it’s fully legal to do so. Automatic weapons are able to fire multiple bullets at a faster speed than a semi-automatic weapon, thus causing more damage faster.

  

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Police believe the Las Vegas shooter used this form of a modification on his guns to turn into automatic weapons. This belief is causing both sides of the topic to speak out on whether they should be legal or not.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein is asking for legislation to make bump stocks illegal. She said, “The only reason to modify a gun is to kill as many people as possible in as short a time as possible.” The National Rifle Association surprisingly supports tighter restrictions on modification kits like bump stocks.

According to The New York Times, the Las Vegas gunman had twelve rifles outfitted with bump stocks in his hotel room where he opened fire on a crowd of roughly 20,000 concert goers below. Currently, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives states that bump stocks are legal but hey may need to revisit the issue now that even the NRA is supporting the ban. The NRA stated, “The N.R.A. believes that devices designed to allow semiautomatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.”

Several Republican politicians have spoken out, wanting either regulations or legislation to be enacted to stop the sale of bump stocks. Florida Republican Representative Carlos Curbelo stated that he is drafting a measure to ban the modification kits. He said his office has been “flooded” with calls from numerous Republicans wanting to sign on to his measure. He said, “I think we are on the verge of a breakthrough when it comes to sensible gun policy.”

Republican Representative of Illinois, Adam Kinzinger, added that he is circulating a letter to his colleagues, urging ATF to re-evaluate bump stocks, which he says has “no place in civilized society.”

On the other side, owner of The Gun Room, Warren LacAsse, argues that guns are not the issue. He does not sell bump stocks in his store but he does not think they should be banned. He noted that trying to legislate morality does not work since evil people, not weapons, are the ones inflicting harm.

Can you think of any way of addressing the issue of evil people being the problem? With little evidence to go on for investigators on why the Las Vegas gunman decided to shoot up the concert, it is hard to understand how to fix the problem. Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

To learn more about the gun issues and proposed legislation to tackle some of the problems, read these articles:

• How are Automatic Weapons Legal in the United States?
• Senate Rejects Four Gun Control Measures
• Connecticut Law Banning High Capacity Guns Stands

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