BSTD Bump-Fire Ban Compliance Rate [POLL]

The deadline for compliance with the irrational “bump-stock-type device (BSTD)” — bump-fire — ban has passed. So how effective has the imperial fiat been at making the nation safe from inert “machineguns”?

Who the hell knows? No one even knows how many there were; the ATF’s “estimate” (“SA Smedley! Quick; bend over so I can pull a number out.”) was 280,000 to 520,000 BSTDs sold. I’d like to see them give a 95% confidence level for WAG.

But I was interested, so I’ve been collecting turn-in reports. Such as they are. The majority of reports of turn-ins and destruction were merely unsubstantiated, vague claims that “people” are “complying,” without so much as a single example. I don’t count those.

The biggie, of course, was RW Arms who turned in for destruction 60,000 items they still had in stock. I’m not counting those because they hadn’t been sold; they weren’t part of the 280-520K giggle-guess.

After that come the great state of Washington, with a reported 1,000 turned in during their “buy-back”.” The problem with that number is hiding in the details. People were supposed to be paid $150 for each bump-fire stock. But the most detailed report stated that they only paid for 122 of 150 stocks surrendered. I suspect they were paying for commercial products, and some maliciously compliant smartasses (bless ’em) slapped together some bump-fire stocks from hunks of wood or PVC pipe.

So my wild ass guess is that only 81% of the WA turn-ins would count against the ATF “sold” estimate: 810.

Florida, which also banned bump-fire ahead of the federal rule, saw a whopping “handful,”, which I’ll call 5 (for the digits of a hand). Moving right along…

Illinois saw “a few” but a more detailed report clarified that “few” meant “1”.

Massachusetts, again with an earlier state ban: “only a few”. Since “few” doesn’t appear to be defined in statutory law, let’s say that between “handful” and “dozen.” Call it 8.

In North Carolina, the ATF claims “some” were turned over, but declined to give numbers. How many is “some”? I’m feeling generous. It was “steadily […] over the last few weeks.” Steadily = 1 per week. Few = 8. So call it 8 more BSTDs.

Vermont has some hard numbers. They got… 2.

The only other reported numbers were Rhode Island, New Jersey, and the City of Denver: Zero, 0, zip, nada, each. Zero is a number.

So, nationwide, I can only document 834 bump-fire stocks turned in. For some values of “document.”

But one can comply with the Royal Whim by destroying your valuable property. That’s going to be a little tougher to nail down.

I had no news reports specifically describing any destructions, just the aforemention vague “people are doing but we don’t know.” So next I turned to YouTube.

Frankly, a couple of searches there surprised me. I honestly thought I’d find more. As with news reports, it was mostly, “I’m going to,” or “I did, but I’m not showing it.”

The only videos I located which showed the destruction or the finished “product” numbered just…

11.

Of those eleven, we have 1 which went out in a blaze of glory in a Viking funeral (the dildos were a nice touch), 1 destroyed in the shop, 1 more chopped, 3 barbecued to death, 3 lost in a horrible dumpster fire, 1 homemade pistol bump-fire device rendered inert, and 1 lost in a tragic boating accident just before it was turned in.

Scratch the homemade unit (only counting those the ATF estimates “sold,” you know), and we have 10. We’re now up to 845 mass murder tactical death machines safely off the street.

845. Across the nation.

I searched a few firearms forums as well. Not a single turn-in or destruction mentioned. It was mostly, “They’re stupid; I never had one,” “I had one, but it wasn’t as good as I thought, and I got rid of it years ago,” or “They look like fun, but I never bought one.” I rather expected a “few” from my cold, dead hands declarations, but didn’t spot any.

845.

Taking the ATF’s low estimate of 280,000 BSTDs sold, they have achieved a miraculous 0.30% compliance rate.

Using the highball guess: 0.16%.

Trump must be so proud.

Zelman Partisan regulars are fine, upstanding people who obviously do their best to comply with constitutional laws. No doubt any of us who happened to own one of these evil machineguns has done the right thing. So quick poll of those who had them.

[Permission to republish this article is granted so long as it is not edited and the author and The Zelman Partisans are credited.]

Carl is an unpaid TZP volunteer. If you found this post useful, please consider dropping something in his tip jar. He could really use the money, what with truck repairs (too late; I’m selling the truck) and recurring bills. And the rabbits need feed. Truck insurance, lest I be forced to sell it. Click here to donate via PayPal.
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9 thoughts on “BSTD Bump-Fire Ban Compliance Rate [POLL]”

  1. I would guess that the majority of those who own one or more simply took measures to remove them from their residence to a safe and unknown place to all but the owner. Rumor has it there was a run on large diameter PVC pipe and end caps at the DIY stores. Being all plastic and buried no way to detect it. Except for “X” marks the spot.

    1. 1. (looking at responses) Yes.

      2. Seriously? Not so much.

      3. You haven’t mastered the fine art of sarcasm yet. “No doubt any of us who happened to own one of these evil machineguns has done the right thing. So quick poll of those who had them.”

  2. This whole schemozzle begs to be crafted into a schtick for Saturday Night Live broadcast. Just think of all the great fun we could have with a staged video send-up of the whole circus.

    My real guess, and what I would be doing if I had been silly enough to acquire one of them (now am I speaking truth here or am I having fun, or both/neither?) is that the 99.997% who are well aware of the blatant abuse this nonsense is and will continue to be, not to mention its wholesale uncontsitutionality, and putting their nickel on “the ban can’t stand”, the number of owners of these gadgets will have carefully sequestered them against the day the ban IS overturned one way or another. Anyone determined enought o protect hisinvestment AND his rights will have had six months to think and plan slowluy acquire the necessities to ferret their hunk of plastic away somewhere safe and impossible to find.

    Soom enough BATF will have at least as much egg on their mugs as do the governments of New York and Massachussetts….. oh, and almost as much as California, now that their CITIZENS are overwhelming the servers and pay utilities buying up standard capacity magazines while itis still legal to do so.. and no one knows for how many more days.

    I personally think the mgazine manufacturers should continue to fill orders to Calfornia no matter what Javvie the Beast managed to do paperwork wise. HOW can the government of one state order private entities in another state and tell them what they may/mayn’t DO… the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution prohibits that.The silly AtG of New Jersey is learning about that these days….

  3. I’m with the contingent who thinks they are worse than useless, i.e. may not function as intended in a high stress situation and can’t be fired with one hand in a pinch. A bump stock is to full auto as wanking off is to sex.

    1. …and that has what, exactly, to do with anything?
      I think this article was a bit over your head revjen45 – in a “missing the point” sort of way.

  4. My question is “How many bought one or more of these BECAUSE the Gubmint tried to outlaw them”? You know, a way to raise the middle finger with a “money where your mouth is” move? There will always be sheep who knuckle their brow and bend over, but the compliance rates for registration and turn-in of other “outlawed” items (mags and “assault rifles) is pretty low.

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