FORT WORTH, Texas — Truck after truck, loaded with packages of bump stocks, arrived at American Shredder in north Fort Worth Tuesday. The trucks were coming from RW Arms, a Fort Worth firearm parts and accessories distributor.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, RW Arms requested the ATF be present as they destroyed millions of dollars worth of bump stocks, bringing them in compliance with the ban on bump stocks that went into effect Tuesday. The ATF believes this might have been the largest supply of bump stocks in the country at 60,000.
"When we see major changes made in gun control policy, it’s typically coming from some cultural upheaval or some massive events in our culture," said Cary Adkinson, associate professor of criminal justice at Texas Wesleyan University.
Bump stocks are a firearm accessory that came under scrutiny after a 2017 mass shooting that left 58 people dead at a music festival in Las Vegas. The bump stock replaces a gun's shoulder rest and is attached to the back of the rifle. When it fires, it bumps the trigger so the user doesn't need to manually pull down on the trigger every time. It allows semi-automatic guns to mimic automatic firearms by unleashing multiple shots in a matter of seconds.
"I think it will definitely have a deterrent effect," Adkinson said.
Adkinson says he understands why the Trump administration brought about this ban. He also knows it may be considered a controversial move by responsible gun owners.
"People are saying, 'You’re regulating my right to peaceably own a weapon or an accessory to a weapon and I have no intention of ever causing harm with that,'" Adkinson explained.
As of Tuesday, having the bump stock accessory in your possession could land you in federal prison.