Las Vegas shooter’s gun modifications spark debate
The Las Vegas shooting has called attention to modifications of the guns used to quickly fire numerous rounds, leaving dozens dead and hundreds injured.
A bump or slide stock modification allows for a gun to be fired more rapidly.
The owner of Redmond Black Rifle, Larry Myers, said Wednesday the backfire from the gun is utilized to move the stock in a person’s hands, and their finger repeatedly hits the trigger with a slide stock.
Myers also said the slide stock modification makes a gun very inaccurate, but allows for a lot of shots to be fired off in a short period of time.
“They have been very controversial for a number of years since they were introduced,” Myers said. “The Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms have OK’d them for use. We here at Redmond Black Rifle do not sell them — we never have, we never will.”
Myers said he won’t sell them because they really don’t serve a purpose, except for getting off a large amount of bullets quickly.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday that these types of tragedies are happening far too often across the country.
Merkley said that if we are to ban automatic weapons, we should also ban the extra parts that can modify a gun to shoot faster.
“These devices should have no place in America,” Merkley said. “If we are going to ban automatics, we should ban kits that convert rifles to being fully automatic.”
The senator also said the only use for these types of weapons is to kill large numbers of people.
Some, though, believe it comes down to making sure people are educated about guns and are aware of the kind of danger they can present.
Brian Kinney is a gun owner and also works at Redmond Black Rifle.
He said he believes in everyone’s right to own a gun.
“If we’re out on a range, shooting, stuff like that, and if I see anybody misuses a gun, I always say something to them, because I’m all about safety, and I’ve seen and heard horror stories about not being safe with a gun,” Kinney said. “So there comes a point where it’s like, we almost have to have an IQ test, not just a background test.”
Kinney also said gun ownership is a right that should be respected.
Should devices that allow guns to be fired more quickly be banned? That’s our new KTVZ.COM Poll, found on the right side of our home page.
