The National Rifle Association Caves On Bump Fire Stocks
BY Herschel Smith
7 years, 1 month ago
NYT:
The National Rifle Association on Thursday endorsed tighter restrictions on devices that allow a rifle to fire bullets as fast as a machine gun — a rare, if small, step for a group that for years has vehemently opposed any new gun controls.
Twelve of the rifles the Las Vegas gunman, Stephen Paddock, had in a high-rise hotel suite when he opened fire on a crowd on Sunday were outfitted with “bump stocks,” devices that allow a semiautomatic rifle to fire hundreds of rounds per minute, which may explain how he was able to shoot so quickly, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds of others. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has ruled that bump stocks do not violate laws that tightly limit ownership of machine guns, and some lawmakers have called for them to be banned.
The bureau should revisit the issue and “immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law,” the N.R.A. said in a statement released Thursday. “The N.R.A. believes that devices designed to allow semiautomatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.”
Ignoring the small issues of “shall not be infringed,” the NRA caves on bump fire stocks, as surely as most of the senators and congresscritters will cave, many of whom will have high marks from the NRA.
The NRA is still conflicted as to whether it wants to be a hunter and sportsman organization of a second amendment and gun rights organization. As I mentioned, I don’t have one, and consider them to be mostly a novelty and range toy. I would never put one on a personal defense weapon, accuracy and control being too important for such things for me to consider a high rate of fire as more important, especially near or around other people.
That said, I cannot be convinced that the shooter who landed all of this crap in our lap would have been less effective if he had aimed and fired in a controlled manner than with the bump fire stock, if in fact such a device was used.
The point to be taken here is not that of the bump fire stocks (the senate and congress is always looking for ways to further regulate your rights, even if not constitutionally allowed). Bump fire stocks are merely the latest incarnation of the boogeyman. Tomorrow it will be something else. The point is that there is a world of difference between knowing that you’ll lose a fight, and actually going on record stating that you agree with your enemy.
The NRA. Always squishy, never completely fulfilling their stated purpose, and always disappointing.
On October 6, 2017 at 7:49 am, bob sykes said:
Ironically, if you go over to YouTube you will learn that any unmodified semi-auto rifle can be bump fired. It’s all in how you hold it. Hold it loosely with the stock somewhat away from the body. Hook the trigger finger around the trigger, but don’t squeeze it or grip the rifle. Push the rifle forward with your off hand on the guard. The partially unrestrained recoil will reset the trigger, and the constant forward push with the off hand will fire the rifle.
Very inaccurate and uncontrolled.
PS. I won’t cancel my NRA membership over this, but they have been put on watch.
On October 6, 2017 at 8:05 am, Duke_Digger said:
Wayne, what was that about stand and fight? and not one more inch? Try this new slogan; “not one more penny”
On October 6, 2017 at 8:11 am, Frank Clarke said:
NRA: Once upon a time the were “Not Relevant Anymore” but they have pressed onward to”Negotiating Rights Away”.
On October 6, 2017 at 10:40 am, Yuri said:
Concept:
The powers of government are conferred upon them by the people (by “loaning” certain individual rights to said government).
Thus, any power of government must FIRST have been a rightful power of each individual citizen.
The adding up of powers “loaned” by individuals does not, and cannot, synergistically create larger, broader, and really really awesomer new special powers for the government.
Questions:
Is this a difficult concept?
Did anyone around the time of the creation of the U.S. believe this concept?
Did anyone around the time of the creation of the U.S. think that this concept was to be incorporated into any government?
Does anyone today believe this concept?
What percentage of American citizens know, understand, and agree with this concept?
I’m just curious as to anyone’s thoughts on the matter.
On October 6, 2017 at 4:30 pm, Pat Hines said:
While I’m personally a NRA Life Member, from a southern nationalist perspective they’re anathema.
Begun by former US Army officers, after their treasonous victory over the lawfully seceded southern states, to improve the average marksmanship of the Yankee which was severely shaded by the average southern man, it concentrated on that task until the 1930s. Then the NRA assisted the drafting of the NFA 1934, then claimed they rescued handguns from that act. We know that the NRA didn’t lift a finger to fight for the correct side of the Miller case.
I remember well the NRA collusion with the BATFE on the GCA of 1968 and other anti-gun legislation. I watched the NRA rep in Columbia, SC do the same about open carry and campus carry.
On October 6, 2017 at 10:36 pm, IdahoMan said:
NRA. Leading the charge, for Gun-Control.
On October 6, 2017 at 11:56 pm, MTHead said:
I do not like the NRA. But, having the atf review it is the smartest thing that herd of cheese-eating surrender monkeys have thought up in a long time.
The Obama ATF passed slide-fires because the definition of a machine gun is two or more rounds fired with one pull of the trigger.
One has to pull the trigger every time a slide-fire goes bang. No springs. your muscles do all the work. They couldn’t rule them out. Their legal inside the NFA act.
In order to make them illegal, congress would have to reopen the NFA, and redefine a machine gun.
Its almost like Steve Bannon,(my new hero), is strategizing for them!