After Vegas carnage, bump stock sales spike
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) — For more than a year, the Georgia Gun Store in Gainesville, Georgia, had no requests for a “bump stock”— an accessory that effectively transforms a semi-automatic rifle into a machine gun capable of firing hundreds of rounds a minute.
But following Sunday’s mass shooting in Las Vegas, the shop fielded several calls from customers asking about the product, apparently out of concern that lawmakers may outlaw it. The store’s owner, Kellie Weeks, said several distributors were out of stock when she called them seeking supplies.
“Anybody that wants to get them is probably just worried that they’re going to be banned,” said Weeks.
Authorities said shooter Stephen Paddock had 12 rifles outfitted with bump stocks among the arsenal of weapons in his hotel room, and audio of the attack suggested he used weapons with rapid-fire capabilities.
The increased interest in bump stocks echoed the spike in gun sales that often follows a high-profile mass shooting, as gun owners become concerned about stiffer gun control laws. Gun company stocks rose in market trading following Sunday’s attack.
Democratic US Senator Dianne Feinstein introduced a bill on Wednesday that would outlaw bump stocks and other devices that, as she put it, “easily and cheaply modify legal weapons into what are essentially machine guns.”
Several Republicans, who typically oppose gun restrictions, signalled openness to the idea. The No. 2 Republican in the Senate, John Cornyn of Texas called for a hearing on bump stocks.
In a likely effort to avoid controversy, Wal-Mart Stores and the sporting goods store Cabela’s both appeared to pull bump stocks from their websites on Wednesday. Calls to the companies seeking comment were not returned.