ATF Senior Technical Expert: “We Couldn’t Find a Way to Classify Bump Fire Stock as a Machine Gun
“We could not find a way to classify it as a machine gun. We did the right thing by the letter of the statutes.” That’s the word from the Former Assistant Chief and Acting Chief of the ATF’s Firearms Technology Branch....
The Slide Fire bump fire stock submitted for ATF approval didn’t meet the legal definition of a machine gun...
Former ATF Agent Vasquez isn’t happy with the NRA’s condemnation of his team’s work on bump fire stocks, with the attendant implication that the Bureau should shoulder some of the blame for the Mandalay Bay hotel spree killing.
For years, the NRA has critically scrutinized the BATFE to guard against the BATFE going astray by injecting some draconian mis-interpretation. And now, with the NRA's recent statement regarding "bump fire", it appears that the NRA is trying to claim the high ground by criticizing the BATFE for complying with the letter of the "law." You can't have it both ways!
There is no place for ambiguity in the law—period; and that includes firearm regulations. Look for the definition of "machine gun" to be rewritten to include a definitive rate of fire.
In the meantime, Congress needs to get off its duff and remedy the situation with interstate travel while (legally) carrying a firearm.
/fl