The Trump administration's Justice Department, as part of the settlement of a lawsuit by the National Association for Gun Rights, is reversing a policy from the first Trump administration. The new policy will allow the sale of forced-reset trigger devices. These devices, while allowing a rifle or handgun to fire rapidly, do not alter the actual operation of the gun in any way; it still requires one actuation of the trigger to fire one and only one round. 

And, as we might expect, the legacy media doesn't report this accurately.

The Justice Department on Friday announced a settlement in a lawsuit brought by the National Association for Gun Rights. The lawsuit challenged an ATF rule banning “forced reset triggers” — devices that allow semiautomatic weapons to fire rapid bursts of bullets.

“This Department of Justice believes that the 2nd Amendment is not a second-class right,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “And we are glad to end a needless cycle of litigation with a settlement that will enhance public safety.”

Here's the thing about these devices: Barring the sale would accomplish precisely nothing and is a waste of the taxpayer's time and money; the policy appeals to people who have no idea how these devices work. They have no idea how the firearms work, for which they are designed to be accessories. 

As usual, the gun-control advocates also get it wrong.

Vanessa Gonzalez, a spokeswoman for Giffords, the national gun violence prevention group led by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, condemned the move.

“The Trump administration has just effectively legalized machine guns. Lives will be lost because of his actions,” said Gonzalez. “This is an incredibly dangerous move that will enable shooters to inflict horrific damage. The only people who benefit from these being on the market are the people who will make money from selling them, everyone else will suffer the consequences.”

No. The Trump administration has not legalized machine guns, and we must note, actual machine guns are still legal for law-abiding citizens to own, if they are willing to invest the considerable costs and leap through a few government hoops that have been in place since 1934.

These devices do not alter the operation of a weapon. Any semi-auto rifle or handgun with one of these attached functions, as it was designed: One shot per trigger pull.

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Histrionics by groups like Giffords aside, this entire issue was a sideshow. These devices, allowed or banned, will have no effect on the national violent crime rate either way. Giffords and groups like them know nothing about the guns they propose to ban, and that shows by their clueless rhetoric around this topic. They propose, as always, to condemn the sword for the hand that wields it, and in so doing accomplish little besides increasing the earth's temperature by some fraction of a degree with their endless output of hot air.

With this settlement, the Trump (47) administration has corrected a misstep from the Trump (45) administration. Full credit to them for that; and, as usual, the gun-control advocates embarrass themselves with their ignorance of the things they propose to control.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier headline for this story claimed the Trump administration is now allowing the sales of bump stocks. However, the DOJ 's settlement only applies to forced-reset triggers. The headline and story have been updated for clarity.

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