GOP Sen. John Cornyn Wants Hearing on Bump-Stock Ban

On Wednesday Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said a hearing on banning bump-stock devices is “worthwhile.”

His statement comes three days after an attacker used a bump-stock device criminally to attack concert-goers in Las Vegas.

According to Politico, Cornyn talked about semiautomatics versus automatics and said he is “not sure how the bump stock [fits] into that scheme,” but he believes the Senate “ought to get to the bottom of it.”

He said, “It is ordinarily illegal to transform a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic weapon, and it’s illegal to buy an automatic weapon unless you have a special license and undergo a special background check.”

The problem with Cornyn’s statements is a bump stock does not transform a semiautomatic firearm into an automatic one. In fact, USA Today reported the ATF approved bump stock devices because they are “an accessory, not a conversion device.”

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) also addressed bump stock devices, saying, “I don’t know a lot about them.” But he thinks bump stocks are something that the Senate “[needs] to take a look at.”

Senate Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) came right out and said he supports a ban on bump stock devices. He said, “Automatic weapons are illegal. If that facilitates that, to me it would [be] subject to the same ban. If that actually gets on the Senate floor I’d vote for it.”

A couple of points for Sen. Johnson: 1. Bump stock devices do not turn semiautomatics into automatic weapons. 2. Automatic weapons are not illegal. It is legal to purchase and possess a machine gun as long as it was made prior to 1986 and the buyer goes through the burdensome federal approval process for purchase.

The GOP Senators talking gun control are complimented by Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX). The Hill reports that Flores is not familiar with the devices but thinks “they should be banned.”

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.