U.S. Justice Department moves to ban rapid-fire bump stocks

The Trump administration said Saturday it has taken the first step in the regulatory process to ban bump stocks, likely setting the stage for long legal battles with gun manufacturers while the trigger devices remain on the market.

The move was expected after President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Department to work toward a ban following the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school in February. Bump stocks, which enable guns to fire like automatic weapons, were not used in that attack they were used in last year's Las Vegas massacre but have since become a focal point in the gun control debate.

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The Justice Department's regulation would classify the hardware as a machine-gun banned under federal law. That would reverse a 2010 decision by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that found bump stocks did not amount to machine-guns and could not be regulated unless Congress amended existing firearms law or passed a new one.

A reversal of the department's earlier evaluation could be seen as an admission that it was legally flawed, which manufacturers could seize on in court. Even as the Trump administration moves toward banning the devices, some ATF officials believe it lacks the authority to do so.

But any congressional effort to create new gun control laws would need support from the pro-gun Republican majority. A bid to ban the accessory fizzled last year, even as lawmakers expressed openness to the idea after nearly 60 people were gunned down in Las Vegas.

VIDEO: How a bump stock works

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Calls mounted for a bump stock ban after that massacre, and the Justice Department said it would again review whether they can be prohibited under federal law. Trump told officials to expedite the review, which yielded more than 100,000 comments from the public and the firearms industry. Many of the comments came from gun owners angry over any attempt to regulate the accessory, a move they view as a slippery slope toward outlawing guns altogether.

The proposal still needs the approval of the Office of Management, which oversees regulations on behalf of the president, before it is published and subject to a commentary period.

• NRA opposes full ban on bump stocks used by Vegas gunman

The National Rifle Association has supported more regulations on bump stocks but hasnot endorsed Trump's proposed ban and said previously it was awaiting thepublication of the regulation before rendering judgment.