Massachusetts became the first state to ban bump stocks for firearms; and after three weeks with the new law in effect, police are apparently shocked that only a few citizens have come forward to voluntarily give up their newly illegal devices.
Bump stocks, which replace a rifle’s standard stock and allow the gun to mimic an automatic weapon, came under fire in October after police claimed that the suspected gunman in the Las Vegas shooting, Stephen Paddock, had 12 rifles with bump stocks in his hotel room.
While it is not clear whether the bump stocks were used, or how they contributed to the carnage that resulted from the shooting, they became the focus of the mainstream media’s wrath, and Massachusetts jumped into action. Now, residents who violate the new law could spend anywhere from 18 months to life in prison.
The ban took place in the state on Feb. 1, and the new regulations gave residents the option to turn their bump stocks over to law enforcement with no repercussions—but so far, police departments in Springfield, West Springfield, Holyoke, Agawam, Granby and Ludlow have received zero bump stocks.
The Chicopee Police Department has received four bump stocks, and Officer Mike Wilk told 22News that he was actually shocked by the low response. “Four is surprising. I figured we would get a few more, but at least we got four,” Wilk said.
There is no incentive for residents to turn in their bump stocks, other than a pat on the back and the peace of mind that they no longer own something the state has deemed illegal. Wilk said he believes that “there are people that could transfer them out of state. If they had a second residence they could have brought them there.”
Essex Police Chief Peter Silva told CBS Boston that the one man in his city who voluntarily turned his bump stock in expressed his frustration at the fact that he paid more than $250 for the device and he was now being forced to turn it over to the police with nothing in return.
“He was a little frustrated because of the fact that he’d paid a little over $250 on this piece here, and there was no redeeming value for him on the other side to recover that money,” Silva said.
While there is no clear proof that bump stocks were responsible for the nearly 60 deaths that resulted from the Las Vegas shooting, John Rosenthal, founder of a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that advocated for the ban, told the Huffington Post that he believes bump stocks should be outlawed because, “We saw in Las Vegas the carnage, which far exceeded the carnage of any other mass shooting in U.S. history, and it made it very clear to me that there’s no purpose whatsoever for a bump stock, other than killing a lot of people very quickly.”
Rosenthal also told CBS Baltimore, “There’s no question in my mind that people won’t turn them in” if the ban became law, and clearly that was not the result.
The city of Denver, Colorado, has introduced a similar ban, which makes bump stocks illegal to sell, carry, store or possess within city limits. While residents also have the option to turn over their devices to law enforcement without repercussions, violators could be fined up to $999 and face up to 180 days in jail.
One of the main points that do not appear to have been thoroughly addressed in this debate is what happens to the bump stocks after they are turned over to police. Not only does the former owner receive no compensation, but the local police department now has a new weapon to add to its increasingly militarized arsenal. And as The Free Thought Project has reported, police in the United States have killed 450 percent more Americans than the last four decades of mass shootings—combined.
Rachel Blevins is an independent journalist from Texas, who aspires to break the false left/right paradigm in media and politics by pursuing truth and questioning existing narratives. Follow Rachel on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Steemit and Patreon. This article first appeared at The Free Thought Project.
In my experience bump stocks are not that popular at all. Everyone i know considers them a “tacticool” accessory that is counterproductive when it comes to accurately and effectively wielding a rifle. That said, If i had one wasting away in a closet or safe somewhere, I still couldn’t turn it in since it’s our duty as American citizens to resist extra-constitutional encroachments of the State whenever possible.
Accuracy is everything. Pulling the trigger quickly and spraying bullets is counterproductive when all it takes is one bullet. Movies/shows glorify it though.
a Bump stock renders your weapon inaccurate…. All it does is spray bullets down range and hope maybe one or 2 might hit close to a target…. basically, they are fun to shoot but, I would not take one to a gun fight…. If people are turning them in.. they are stupid… part of the Sheeple Class… and if cities are asking for them to be turned in, they too are stupid and don’t really have a clue about firearms.. Because, with just a little practice, I can mimic a Bump Stock without a Bump Stock…. Youtube is filled with jokers firing their weapons like that… I guess it’s true, Common Sense isn’t common…. and these politicians are simply trying to get your votes without having to do much work for it…. and the Libtards are patting themselves on the back….
Common sense isn’t as “common” as it once was; among politicians, it would be considered a “superpower”! Lol
lol, I concur Glenn Festog. That is funny indeed, not just because it is funny, but because it is true.
At the cost of .223 ammo you are not going to find a lot of people just “spraying” bullets down range. Hard to say if there are that few bump stocks or if people just ignored the new law.
“I guess it’s true, Common Sense isn’t common..” . Priceless that sentence Randall. I completely concur with you on your statements.
A ban on bump stocks is nothing but symbolism over substance. Doesn’t change a thing in real world shooting.
That is hilarious, the non compliance with these seizure. Now, if people just started a non compliance with everything else, we’d be building something. I like the point of the laws/enforcement not saying what is being done with the seized bump stocks. I mean, in their warped way of cognitive function, get it from the citizens and they don’t have to pay for it. Just like the billionaires!
Typical journalism: would be easier to say “58” rather than “almost 60”.
Our corrupt treasonous government who are slowly but surely emplimenting the NWO, and all with our citizens consent. We consent by really doing nothing.