Bump stocks now illegal as federal ban goes into effect

A federal ban on bump stocks went into effect Tuesday, meaning owners must destroy them or turn them over to authorities.

Bump stocks, which make semi-automatic weapons fire like machine guns, came under intense scrutiny after the deadly 2017 shooting in Las Vegas. The gunman used bump stocks when he opened fire on a concert, killing 58 people.

Violators of the ban face up to 10 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.

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A spokesperson for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told Channel 11's news exchange partners at TribLIVE no one has turned in any bump stocks to local ATF offices in Pennsylvania.

The ATF first ruled that bump stocks were legal in 2010, and since then, the government estimates more than 500,000 have been sold.

They were originally created to make it easier for people with disabilities to fire a gun. The device essentially replaces the gun's stock and pistol grip and causes the weapon to buck back and forth, repeatedly "bumping" the trigger against the shooter's finger.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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