Democrats renew gun control push with device ban bill

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., announced a bill Wednesday to ban a device found in the hotel room of the Las Vegas shooter that enables a semi-automatic rifle to approach the firing rate of a fully automatic weapon. The device, known as a “bump stock,” braces against a shooter’s shoulder and harnesses the recoil of the rifle to allow the user to trigger the weapon repeatedly in a short amount of time. “Individuals are able to purchase bump fire stocks for less than $200 and easily convert a semi-automatic weapon into a firearm that can shoot between 400 and 800 rounds per minute,” Feinstein said at a news conference announcing the Automatic Gunfire Protection Act. Originally intended to help disabled people fire guns, bump stocks were approved for sale by the U.S. government in 2010. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday it’s premature to discuss a legislative response to the Las Vegas shooting, in which Stephen Paddock killed 59 people and injured hundreds more Sunday night. “I think it’s particularly inappropriate to politicize an event like this,” McConnell told reporters. President Donald Trump said Tuesday, “We'll be talking about gun laws as time goes by.” Trump is visiting Las Vegas on Wednesday.