ON DECEMBER 18,2018, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL MATTHEW WHITAKER ANNOUNCED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE HAS AMENDED THE REGULATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS, AND EXPLOSIVES (BATFE), CLARIFYING THAT BUMP STOCKS FALL WITHIN THE DEFINITION OF "MACHINEGUN" UNDER FEDERAL LAW, AS SUCH DEVICES ALLOW A SHOOTER OF A SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARM TO INITIATE A CONTINUOUS FIRING CYCLE WITH A SINGLE PULL OF THE TRIGGER.

THE FINAL RULE WILL GO INTO EFFECT MARCH 26, 2019; 90 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER.

THE FINAL RULE CLARIFIES THAT THE DEFINITION OF "MACHINEGUN" IN THE 1968 GUN CONTROL ACT (GCA) AND THE 1934 NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT (NFA) INCLUDES BUMP-STOCK-TYPE DEVICES, i.e., DEVICES THAT ALLOW A SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARM TO SHOOT MORE THAN ONE SHOT WITH A SINGLE PULL OF THE TRIGGER BY HARNESSING THE RECOIL ENERGY OF THE SEMIAUTOMATIC FIREARM TO WHICH IT IS AFIXED SO THAT THE TRIGGER RESETS AND CONTINUES FIRING WITHOUT ADDITIONAL PHYSICAL MANIPULATION OF THE TRIGGER BY THE SHOOTER.

CURRENT POSSESSORS OF BUMP-STOCK-TYPE DEVICES MUST DIVEST THEMSELVES OF POSSESSION AS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE FINAL RULE (MARCH 26, 2019)

ONE OPTION IS TO DESTROY THE DEVICE, AND THE FINAL RULE IDENTIFIES POSSIBLE METHODS OF DESTRUCTION, TO INCLUDE COMPLETELY MELTING, SHREDDING, OR CRUSHING THE DEVICE. ANY METHOD OF DESTRUCTION MUST RENDER THE DEVICE INCAPEABLE OF BEING READILY RESTORED TO FUNCTION. DESTROYING A BUMP-STOCK-DEVICE USING ANY OTHER METHOD MAY BE LEGALLY INSUFFICIENT, SUCH THAT CONTINUED POSSESSION OF THE DEVICE MAY VIOLATE 18 U.S.C. 922(o).

BELOW ARE DIRECT LINKS TO THE INFORMATION FOR VERIFICATION OF THE AMENDED REGULATIONS