Bump stocks are a rapid fire device used by the Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock who killed at least 58 people and injured hundreds more on Sunday night.
Police said 12 of Paddock’s weapons had been modified with bump stocks that allow semi-automatic rifles to operate as if they were fully automatic machine guns.
US authorities said Paddock’s ability to fire hundreds of rounds per minute from the Mandalay Bay hotel room was a major factor in the high casualty count.
Although the National Rifle Association (NRA) staunchly opposes gun control, it is now asking for a review to see if bump stock devices comply with federal law.
The NRA said in a statement: “Devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations.”
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The gun lobby is calling for the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (AFT) to address bump stocks through further regulation.
Jill Snyder, special agent in charge at the ATF, said Paddock rigged 12 semi-automatic rifles with bump stocks before carrying out the massacre.
“A semi-automatic rifle with a bump-fire stock on it is not an illegal machine gun,” she told CBS Evening News.
“The ammo clip capacities ranged from 60 rounds to 100 rounds.”
Jeremiah Cottle, a US Air Force veteran, invented the bump stock device after having the idea while out shooting with a friend.
In 2011 he told Albany News: “We weren’t able to fire as fast as we wanted.
“We couldn’t afford what we wanted – a fully automatic rifle – so I started to think about how I could make something that would work and be affordable.”
A semi-automatic weapon fires a single bullet with each pull of the trigger, whereas an automatic fires for as long as you compress the trigger.
Bump stocks work by replacing a rifle’s standard stock, which is the part held against the shoulder.
This allows the weapon to slide back and forth rapidly, using the energy from the kickback shooters feel when the weapon fires.
Up until now, the device has been regarded by many gun enthusiasts as a novelty or a toy because they dramatically reduce the accuracy of a firearm.
Democrats want to ban the ‘bump stock’ device following the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history. Bump stocks are selling out across the USA in case the ban goes through.