New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF, WE-Sag Harbor) announced that he is co-sponsoring legislation introduced by State Assembly Member Patricia Fahy (D-Albany) which would outlaw a trigger crank, a bump-fire device, or any part, combination of parts, component, device, attachment, or accessory which is designed or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semi-automatic rifle in such a way so as to approximate the operation of a machine-gun.

A “bump stock” replaces a rifle’s standard stock, which is the part held against the shoulder. It frees the weapon to slide back and forth rapidly, harnessing the energy from the kickback shooters feel when the weapon fires. The stock “bumps” back and forth between the shooter’s shoulder and trigger finger, causing the rifle to rapidly fire again and again. The shooter holds his or her trigger finger in place, while maintaining forward pressure on the barrel and backward pressure on the pistol grip while firing.

The bump stock is not banned under federal law even though it allows a weapon to fire at nearly the rate of a machine gun without technically converting it to a fully automatic firearm. It is illegal for private citizens to possess fully automatic firearms manufactured after May 19, 1986; ownership of earlier models requires a federal license.

Thiele stated, “The tragedy in Las Vegas clearly points to a flaw in both state and federal firearms laws. The possession of a machine gun by a civilian has been prohibited in the United States for nearly 100 years. There is no valid reason that any citizen needs to possess the functional equivalent of a machine gun or automatic weapon. I urge both Albany and Washington to correct this flaw immediately.”