Bump Stocks Since Las Vegas Shooting

What is a bump stock, how is it used, and should it be legal?

As noted in previous blog posts, I am a pro-gun rights activist and I believe firmly in the personal protection of the rights of individuals. That being said, I am not an irrational person so gun laws are always up for debate. The debate on whether or not bump stocks for assault rifles should be legal has gained support by even the most avid of gun supporters. Let's start with some factual information. A bump stock is a modification to a semi-automatic weapon to essentially turn it into an automatic weapon without changing the inside parts or firing pin of the rifle. A bump stock is a modification to the stock (shoulder piece) of the rifle to allow it to slide back and forth. Attached to the sliding mechanism is a flat plastic piece alongside the trigger which allows for the recoil of the rifle to push the shooter's finger against the trigger after every round fired creating a fully automatic, machine gun affect. It is an incredibly simple design but has gained substantial attention due to the fact that the Las Vegas shooter used bump stocks on the weapons of which he used to kill 58 people and injure many others at a concert in early October of 2017. According to the NRA (National Rifle Association), advocates agree that  "devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations."(The Fly. (Oct. 5, 2017). The NRA is an organization that is known for their support of the second amendment. Seeing as though they are pushing for regulations on bump stocks is an indicator that the modification is a truly unnecessary component which poses a danger to others due to the fact that they make the firearm inaccurate and difficult to control. 
From my point of view, bump stocks are completely unnecessary and should be heavily regulated in the United States. Since the Las Vegas shooting, efforts to regulate bump stocks have been enacted but have since stalled. (NPR news Oct. 26, 2017)

Link: How Bump Stocks Work

"NRA calls for additional regulations on bump stocks." The Fly, 5 Oct. 2017. General OneFile, aurarialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=auraria_main&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA508144909&it=r&asid=378300ffb806825ba0afe97a0c9e66b8. Accessed 1 Nov. 2017.

Bennett, Geoff. “What Happened To The Move To Ban Bump Stocks?” NPR, National Public Radio, 26 Oct. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/10/26/560276707/what-happened-to-the-move-to-ban-bump-stocks.