Judge allows Trump ban on rapid-fire gun accessories to proceed

A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration could proceed with its rule to ban bump stocks – devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire more rapidly.

Reuters reported that District Judge Dabney Friedrich wrote in a 64-page ruling that none of the challenges to the law meet the standard necessary to issue an injunction blocking the ban.

{mosads}Pro-gun groups that filed suit seeking to stop the rule from going into effect intend to appeal Monday’s decision, Reuters reported.

The Trump administration announced in December a final rule that bans bump stocks, a device that came under heavy scrutiny after it was used in a 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas that left dozens dead.

The decision followed a public comment period during which hundreds of thousands of responses were received, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said the change would increase public safety.

The rule is scheduled to go into effect on March 26.

Bump stock owners have 90 days once the final rule is published in the Federal Register to destroy their devices or turn them into the nearest ATF office.