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

A rifle equipped with a bump stock can fire at a rate of between 400 and 800 rounds per minute.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2024

Mills said she vetoed the bump stock proposal because despite its “well-meaning nature” she felt the language of the bill and the way it was developed “create the risk for unintended mistakes.”

From Seattle Times • Apr. 29, 2024

“For a bump stock to work,” the justice told Fletcher, “you still have to have your finger right there.”

From Slate • Feb. 28, 2024

The justices did not appear to share a common understanding of the bump stock and precisely how it worked.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2024

It said the bump stock device functions as “a self-acting or self-regulating mechanism that allows the firing of multiple rounds through a single pull of the trigger.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 3, 2023