Delaware lawmakers eye bill banning bump stocks

(AP) — A bill taking aim at devices that increase the rate of fire of semi-automatic rifles is getting its first hearing in Delaware’s legislature.

The bill, which makes the sale or possession of bump stocks, trigger cranks and similar devices a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, was to be considered in a House committee Wednesday.

The gunman who killed 58 people and wounded hundreds more in Las Vegas in October had several weapons outfitted with bump stocks.

A bump stock uses a rifle’s recoil to allow it to slide rapidly between the shooter’s shoulder and trigger finger, which is kept stationary.

By not having to manually pull the trigger for each shot, the firing rate increases dramatically, approaching the rate of fire of a fully automatic weapon.