Bump stock ban has gun advocates fighting back against legislators

Bump stocks became wildly-known following the Las Vegas mass shooting last year.

They allow for an increased rate of fire when shooting a firearm.

Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill banning bump stocks earlier this month, and now, gun advocates are firing back.

“We’re not filing for an injunction or asking them to prevent the law from going back, but basically what we’re saying is if you’re going to ban these items which were legal for people to buy, then they should be compensated for the loss of these items,” said Andrew Kagan, an attorney for five clients listed in the class action lawsuit.

“They’re just average citizens that legally purchased bump stocks that now have lost their complete value of their purchase,” Kagan added.

Aaron Forum, the owner of Shoot Center in Cape Coral, says his store doesn’t sell a lot of bump stocks, but he feels like this new law will set a bad precedent.

“The concept here is the government is basically saying, this is your personal property, it’s now illegal, and we’ll take it, and we’re not going to provide you with any compensation at all,” Forum said.

Both Forum and Kagan say the language of the law is important for gun owners to understand.

“They define a bump stock as a designated tool, kit, or device that allows you to fire the gun faster than you could without that tool kit or device,” Forum said.

This means other items, like binary triggers, will also be outlawed.

“I think maybe it warrants saying that a lot of people might own a device that increases the rate of fire and not know that it would apply in this situation,” Forum said.

The law goes into effect in October. If you still have a bump stock with a binary trigger by then, it will be a felony.

Right now, there’s no clear-cut way to return or destroy these items, but gun experts say it’s best to go to law enforcement or a gun range.