The ATF guidance says crushing, melting, shredding or cutting (as shown here) is OK, but warns “any other method may be legally insufficient, such that possession of the device may violate 18 U.S.S. 922(o). Image from ATF website.)

Legal challenges notwithstanding, the ATF is moving ahead on the reclassification of bump stocks as “machine guns.”

Yesterday, we received “guidance” from the ATF on what would be deemed to be “acceptable” destruction of the devices. Their description says to meet the acceptable standard, “a bump stock must be made incapable of being readily restored to its intended function by, e.g., crushing, melting or shredding the bump stock.”

According to the guidance, the stock may also be destroyed by cutting, “so long as the bump stock is completely severed in the areas constituting critical design features.”

We’re using the Slide Fire Solutions AR pistol bumpstock as an example of “acceptable” cutting:

As the matter proceeds, as always, we’ll keep you posted.