Supreme Court Strikes Down Bump Stock Ban in Win for Gun Rights

On June 14, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal ban on bump stocks with a 6-3 ruling. Advocates for gun rights view this ruling as a win.

Semi-automatic rifles can have bump stocks installed on them to simulate automatic gunfire by firing the weapon quickly. The Trump administration enacted the ban in 2018 in response to the Las Vegas mass shooting, in which the gunman made use of bump stocks.

The Court’s Justification

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was accused of exceeding its jurisdiction when it classified bump stocks as machine guns under federal law, according to Justice Clarence Thomas’ majority opinion. The court reasoned that a bump stock does not change a semi-automatic rifle from a machine gun into a machine gun because each shot still needs to be pulled separately.

Contrarian Views

Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined Justice Sonia Sotomayor in dissenting from the majority ruling. Bump stocks, they claimed, essentially transform semiautomatic rifles into machine guns, and the ATF was right to regulate them.

Effect of the Choice

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, there will likely be a renewed discussion about gun laws in the US. Gun rights supporters contend that it is a victory for the Second Amendment, while proponents of gun control contend that it makes it easier for people to obtain lethal weapons.