NATIONWIDE — The nationwide ban on bump stocks went into effect Tuesday.
- Bump stocks allow semiautomatic rifles to fire continuously
- Trump last year said government should move to ban them
- Bump stock owners had 90 days to turn in or destroy them
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The Supreme Court is so far declining to stop the Trump administration from enforcing its ban on bump stock devices, which allow semiautomatic weapons to fire like machine guns.
Bump stocks are gun attachments that allow shooters to fire semiautomatic rifles continuously with only one pull of the trigger.
In December, the Justice Department announced an existing ban on fully automatic weapons would also apply to bump stocks. The ruling gave owners 90 days to turn in their bump stocks or destroy them. That 90-day period ended Tuesday.
The Trump administration is in the unusual position of arguing against gun-rights groups. Gun-rights groups asked the court Monday to keep the government from beginning to enforce the ban for now. Chief Justice John Roberts declined a request for the court to get involved Tuesday. A second request is pending in front of Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
President Donald Trump said last year that the government would move to ban bump stocks. The action followed a 2017 Las Vegas shooting in which bump stocks were used. Almost 60 people were killed.
Florida had a previous ban on the devices.