In uncommon arms-control move, NRA endorses crackdown on rapid-fire ‘bump stock’ devices
Top US gun-rights group says it is willing to look at restrictions against device used by Las Vegas gunman
The largest gun-lobbying group in the United States said devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to function like automatic firearms should be subject to new regulations after a growing number of Republican lawmakers said they are open to such restrictions.
Following a mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday, in which the gunman had weapons modified to allow rapid firing, the National Rifle Association (NRA) called on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to review whether the “bump stock” devices used to modify semi-automatics comply with federal law.
“The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations,” the group said in a statement on Thursday. The NRA also criticised politicians seeking to ban guns, saying doing so would not prevent a “criminal act of a madman.”
For years, Republican lawmakers have been largely in line with the NRA, which has long objected to new restrictions. The shooting in Las Vegas, in which 58 people were killed, has brought new attention to bump stocks, aftermarket accessories that allow more rapid firing, and prompted Republicans’ comments. Many Democrats have long called for much stricter gun laws.