In the states where bump stock bans have already gone into effect, there is one big problem: very few have been turned in, and in some cases none. Is that because not that many people brought a hunk of plastic for their AR, or…fill in the blank.
In Massachusetts, a whopping 3 bump stocks and one trigger crank were turned in to police by the time the law went into effect. State law makes it a felony to be in possession of one of the devices, with an 18 months to life penalty. According to CBS Boston, one person was hesitant to turn it in because there was no monetary redemption for his purchase. But that may not be the main point: gun buy backs are simply gun confiscation in disguise.
In Denver, Colorado, no one turned in any bump stocks when the law went into effect in March. In New Jersey, no one turned in any of the devices at the deadline in mid-April. Not. Even. One.
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
Bump stock bans unenforceable
According to the ATF, Americans could own a half a million of the devices or more. But they don’t have a serial number, so they aren’t traceable. Even though Slide Fire no longer sells them as of May 20, there could be a lot of them out there. Or not. They’ve never been the most popular item for gun owners.
Florida, Maryland, Vermont and Washington have bans that have not yet gone into effect. The Washington ban includes a buy back program for $150 per device. Delaware’s ban legislation that is pending in the Senate includes money for a buy back program as well. Rhode Island has a ban coming up through the legislature. Connecticut also passed a bump stock ban that is awaiting the governor’s signature. Hawaii passed one that is also awaiting the Governor’s signature, but it doesn’t have any language that offers a grace period.
Never mind that any ban is unenforceable at its core, bump stock bans end up as an “extra” charge if the people happen to commit some other crime that requires police to get a search warrant. No police officer in the entire country wants to go door-to-door in a gun confiscation effort, or a scavenger hunt for plastic gun accessories.
Not many gun owners even own a bump stock, so it begs the question: if one man who was obviously bent on murdering 58 people had several bump stocks, why haven’t there been more incidents of their use in mass murder?
“If you start giving up one right, even a portion of a right, you will eventually lose all of them.” Jerry Henry, executive director of Georgia Carry
H/T Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children
Related:
- You’ll Never Guess Whose Administration Authorized ‘Bump Stocks’
- Trump Memo to Sessions: Bump Stocks Apparently Under the Bus
- NJ- Chris Christie signs bump-stock ban/confiscation.
- Pelosi: I hope bump stock ban ‘slippery slope’ to more gun…
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