Bumpstock Ban Overturned by Supreme Court

In a 6 to 3 decision, the Supreme court has overturned the bumpstock ban enacted by the ATF following the Las Vegas shooting.

The Supreme Court not only overturned this ban, but gave the ATF a beatdown for changing their position on bump stocks when the agency “exceeded its statutory authority by issuing a Rule that classifies a bump stock as a ‘machinegun'”.

In the decision, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, he wrote, “A semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock does not fire more than one shot “by a single function of the trigger.” With or without a bump stock, a shooter must release and reset the trigger between every shot. And, any subsequent shot fired after the trigger has been released and reset is the result of a separate and distinct “function of the trigger.” All that a bump stock does is accelerate the rate of fire by causing these distinct “function[s]” of the trigger to occur in rapid succession.”

Justice Thomas adds, “Firing multiple shots using a semiautomatic rifle with a bump stock requires more than a single function of the trigger. A shooter must also actively maintain just the right amount of forward pressure on the rifle’s front grip with his nontrigger hand. See supra, at 2–3. Too much forward pressure and the rifle will not slide back far enough to release and reset the trigger, preventing the rifle from firing another shot. Too little pressure and the trigger will not bump the shooter’s trigger finger with sufficient force to fire another shot. Without this ongoing manual input, a semiautomatic rifle with a bump stock will not fire multiple shots. Thus, firing multiple shots requires engaging the trigger one time—and then some. “

In other words, a bumpstock requires more than just a single pull of the trigger.

Now, I am not a fan of bumpstocks, nor do I have a desire to even own one, but this is a great decision that could have further ramifications on other cases moving forward.