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Bump Fire Stocks Legislation

The U.S. National Rifle Association (NRA) just caved in on the issue of fast-firing semi-autos. On Thursday, they issued a public statement that encouraged bump fire stocks legislation. It said in part:

“In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas…”[lots deleted]

“…Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to immediately review whether these devices 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…”

This sort of panicked wholesale capitulation to the mainstream media’s demands will surely cause a cascade of executive orders and/or Federal legislation.

My Objections

I have some huge objections to the NRA President’s capitulation letter, to wit:

1.) NRA President Wayne LaPierre apparently did not first consult the full NRA Board of Directors. And he doesn’t speak for the entire membership.

2.) The statement was so loosely worded that it could include a plethora of parts and accessories. The problem is this vague phrase “…to function like fully-automatic rifles…”   “Like?”  What do you mean by the word “like”, Wayne?  Do you mean firing more than once with with each function (pull or release) of the trigger?  (That is the current legal definition of a machinegun.) Do you mean capable of firing more than once or twice per second?  Or do you mean a semi-auto that “sounds scary”? Do you mean firing semi-automatically from a linked belt or from a magazine of substantial capacity?  Your vague statement could be construed to include not just bump fire stocks but also match grade (light) triggers, binary triggers, magazines over 20 round capacity, pants belt loops, or even rubber bands!

3.) They had the opportunity to confront the horribly open-ended wording of Senator Feinstein’s bill, but they did not.  (Her bill –not yet assigned a number–is an outright ban, with no Grandfather Clause, and has no exceptions. It would cause a Federal “taking” of private property, with no compensation for those affected by the proposed legislation. This sort of taking flies in the face of a long-standing tenet of American jurisprudence. You can’t  just take someone’s property without compensation.)

4.) The wording of the NRA statement was nearly as vague as Feinstein’s draft ban legislation!

5.) The NRA missed a huge opportunity to insist that the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934’s machinegun registry be re-opened. By re-opening the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Records (NFRTR) they could solve a number of chronic problems. This would allow amnesty registration (with a $200 per-item tax) on any contraband full autos, including military veterans’ “dufflebag bring-backs.” If need be, this amnesty could include bump fire stocks, if they are erroneously re-classified as “machineguns”.) However, by leaving the error-ridden NFA registry closed it will leave hundreds of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens in legal limbo.  And assuming that bumpfire stocks become banned, then additional tens or even hundreds of thousands more gun owners will become “unprosecuted felons.”   What is really needed is a blanket NFA registration amnesty lasting 18 to 24 months. Better yet, the Hughes Amendment to the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986 should also be rescinded.  That would leave the machinegun registry open as it should be, to new manufacture and importation.

6.) The NRA didn’t even wait long enough for an ATF forensic report which would reveal whether or not simple “bump fire” was employed, or if Stephen Paddock had actually illegally converted one or more of the ARs he used to true full auto fire.

7.) The NRA leadership has repeatedly promised “no compromise” on the Second Amendment.  Well, you’ve just compromised on a grand scale.  You’ve just capitulated to the gun grabbers. The leftists in Congress will now smell blood in the water, and attempt to pass sweeping civilian disarmament legislation.

8.) History has repeatedly shown that legislated or dictated bans and freezes don’t work.  Especially when a ban infringes on a God-Given right.

In my opinion, the NRA Board of Directors should rescind the letter and remove Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox from the organization, immediately!

Speak Out!

Please contact the NRA to make your opinion known, visit their web page, or phone: (800) 672-3888.

To contact your Congressman, call (202) 224-3121

To write your Senator:

The Honorable _________________
United States Senate
Washington DC 20510

To write your Representative:

The Honorable _________________
United States House of Representatives
Washington DC 20515

To find out who your Representative is, enter your zip code in the search function at: http://www.house.gov/writerep/

To contact the President:

President _________________
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
(202) 456-1111 (phone)
president@whitehouse.gov

“The price of liberty is eternal vigilence”

Please let your voices be heard!  – JWR