bump stock

American  

[buhmp stok] / ˈbʌmp ˌstɒk /

noun

1. a replacement gunstock that enables a semiautomatic rifle to discharge bullets at a much higher rate of fire, nearly that of a fully automatic machine gun.

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Etymology

Origin of bump stock

First recorded in 2005–10; short for bump fire (from its use of the recoil to bump the trigger against the trigger finger) + (gun)stock ( def. )

Example Sentences

Prior to 2017, ATF said bump stock devices were not machine guns because the shooter had to press forward on the barrel as the recoil bumped or triggered another shot.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2024

When a person fires a semi-automatic weapon fitted with a bump stock, it uses the gun’s recoil energy to rapidly and repeatedly bump the trigger against the shooter’s index finger.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024

The shooter is not consciously pulling the trigger, she suggested, but the bump stock is effectively making him pull the trigger.

From Slate • Feb. 28, 2024

In a wide-ranging argument, the justices wrestled with the mechanics of gun triggers and the larger implications of the ban both for bump stock owners and the public.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2024

While they asked skeptical questions, none of the justices sounded ready to strike down the bump stock rule.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2024