Reports from CNN and New York Times state that the Trump administration will ban bump stocks, devices that allow semiautomatic weapons to mimic machine guns, within the next few days. CNN reports that the new legislation will mandate that people who own bump stocks must turn in or destroy the devices within 90 days.
The legislation on bump stocks was initially proposed in response to the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, in which the shooter used the devices to kill 58 people and cause injuries to hundreds more. Though the gunman could have engaged in the shooting without bump stocks, the devices made the shooting deadlier by making his semiautomatic weapons mimic automatic weapons.
Federal law states that automatic weapons are legal only if they were manufactured before 1986, when Congress enacted the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act. This means that manufacturing new automatic weapons for civilian use is illegal; however, bump stocks provide a way around the law.
Additional Reading:
Trump administration to ban bump stocks for guns, Vox (November 29, 2018)
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