The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) does not have the authority to ban bump stocks, concluding that the firearm accessory cannot be considered a machine gun under the National Firearms Act.
Landmark Ruling: Court’s Decision
In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the Fifth Circuit’s en banc January 2023 decision that struck down the ATF’s rule banning bump stocks. The circuit court had ruled in favor of firearms instructor Michael Cargill, determining that a bump stock, which increases the firing rate of a semiautomatic rifle, cannot be classified as a “machine gun” under federal law. As a result, the ATF was deemed to lack the authority to ban bump stocks.
“A bump stock does not convert a semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun any more than a shooter with a lightning-fast trigger finger does,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority.
Bump Stocks Ban Overturning : ATF’s Authority Questioned
The crux of the case revolved around whether the ATF had the authority to redefine a machine gun and implement a rule banning bump stocks. Cargill’s attorneys argued that the ATF’s decision was politically motivated, driven by then-President Donald Trump, following the 2017 mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas, where the shooter used a bump stock.
