AndrewBlakeBoston, MA – A Massachusetts law that bans bump stocks goes into effect this week.
“Bump stocks” became part of the gun debate after it was discovered that Stephen Paddock had bump stocks on the weapons he used when he shot and killed 58 people and injured 851 others.
Massachusetts was the first state to ban bump stocks and trigger cranks, according to WCVB-TV. The Massachusetts State Police said the sale or transfer of ownership of bump stocks was outlawed when the law went into effect in November of 2017, leaving legal owners with no way to recoup the cost of the items.
Now, owners of bump stock have until Feb. 1 to surrender the accessory to police, WCVB reported.
Bump stocks attach to semi-automatic rifles and increase the rate of fire of the weapon by using the recoil force of the weapon to repeatedly initiate a trigger press on the shooter’s finger.
In the aftermath of the Las Vegas massacre in October of 2017, the National Rifle Association (NRA) released a statement that it believed bump stocks should be subjected to additional regulations.
The NRA also said the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) should review bump stocks to see if they comply with the federal law. However, the NRA has come out against federal legislation that would have banned bump stocks, according to The Hill.
The state of Washington is close to enacting its own ban on bump stocks. The Seattle Times reported that the Washington state Senate passed a ban on bump stocks Jan. 26. That measure was passed by a 29-20 vote.
The bill will go to the state House for consideration. The law would make it illegal for anyone in Washington to make or sell bump stocks starting on July 1, according to The Seattle Times.
Blue Lives Matter is now on LinkedIn. If you have a LinkedIn account, be sure to follow us there.