The National Rifle Association has issued a statement on the potential legislation on bump-fire stocks. If you thought they would stand against those regulations, well, you might not be thrilled by what you see.

“In the aftermath of the evil and senseless attack in Las Vegas, the American people are looking for answers as to how future tragedies can be prevented.  Unfortunately, the first response from some politicians has been to call for more gun control. Banning guns from law-abiding Americans based on the criminal act of a madman will do nothing to prevent future attacks. This is a fact that has been proven time and again in countries across the world. In Las Vegas, reports indicate that certain devices were used to modify the firearms involved. Despite the fact that the Obama administration approved the sale of bump fire stocks on at least two occasions, the National Rifle Association is calling on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to immediately review whether these devices comply with federal law.  The NRA believes that devices designed to allow semi-automatic rifles to function like fully-automatic rifles should be subject to additional regulations. In an increasingly dangerous world, the NRA remains focused on our mission: strengthening Americans’ Second Amendment freedom to defend themselves, their families and their communities.  To that end, on behalf of our five million members across the country, we urge Congress to pass National Right-to-Carry reciprocity, which will allow law-abiding Americans to defend themselves and their families from acts of violence.”

I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit disappointed. I actually expected them to stand firm, not capitulate that something that’s been legal for years and never used in a crime before so far as I can tell should be heavily regulated.

That said, from a political standpoint, I see why they offer at least some support for new regulations on bump-fire stocks. It seems that the political tide is fully against these stocks. By at least offering some semblance of support, the NRA is likely to get a seat at the table in discussions (either literally or figuratively). If they offer opposition and urge their allies in Congress to do the same, they might just see to it that it’s only these stocks that are impacted by new regulations.

At least, that’s what I’m hoping their thinking is. Otherwise, this is just not the kind of thing one would hope for from an organization that seeks to support and defend our Second Amendment rights. Especially since one would expect them to understand that these stocks are just one way to bump-fire. We certainly can’t expect politicians who have never held a gun to understand it.

There’s nothing about this that doesn’t stink. Nothing at all.

We’ll have to see how it goes. If it’s bump-fire stocks and bump-fire stocks alone, I’m not going to lose too much sleep over it. I won’t be happy about it, but I’ll deal.

If it goes much beyond it? Well, that’s something to remember come time for the membership to vote.