A new rule banning bump stocks will remain in force while critics challenge it in court. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected two requests to pause the ban while lower courts decide pending cases. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) bump stock rule went into effect on March 26. It requires owners of bump stock devices to destroy them or surrender them to the ATF. Bump stock owners who do not comply could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

 

The ATF rule followed a February 2018 presidential memorandum signed by President Trump. The memorandum told the attorney general to propose a rule banning devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns. He signed the memorandum in response to the 2017 Las Vegas shooting where a gunman killed 58 and wounded hundreds more.

 

On March 25, the D.C. Circuit issued a stay for members of gun rights groups involved in a lawsuit before the court. That means the rule will not apply to members of the groups until the court decides their case. The 10th Circuit issued a stay for Clark Aposhian, a gun rights lobbyist challenging the ban with the New Civil Liberties Alliance.

 

Bump stocks are a firearm accessory that makes it easier to shoot faster. Supporters of the ban say that the rule protects members of law enforcement and the public from mass shooters. Opponents say agencies like the ATF do not have the constitutional authority to ban bump stocks by redefining legal terms. They argue that only Congress may write criminal laws.

 

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