Last month, the gun rights dystopia that is Massachusetts became the first state to ban bump fire stocks – complete with a potential life sentence for owning one. Now, South Carolina’s capital city, Columbia, has become the first city to enact a similar ban.
The City of Columbia passed an ordinance Tuesday that bans the use of bump stocks and trigger cranks.
Columbia’s ordinance, which was introduced at the Dec. 5 City Council meeting, makes it illegal to attach bump stocks or trigger cranks to any guns within the city, except by military or law enforcement personnel. It would still be legal to own those devices, so long as they are stored in separate containers from firearms.
Unlike the Bay State ban, Columbia’s prohibition doesn’t appear to outlaw simple possession of a bump fire stock, only their use. Mayor Steve Benjamin wasted no time in touting the city’s new law as a major step for gun safety.
“I believe in responsible gun ownership, and I believe in common sense,” Mayor Steve Benjamin said in a news release. “That’s why we’ve decided to do what our federal and state governments are either unable or unwilling to do and act by banning the use of bump stocks and trigger cranks in our city. This is not the first time we’ve taken the lead, but it may be the most important.”
Columbians can now sleep comfortably knowing that their elected representatives have finally done something about the seemingly intractable plague of bump fire-driven gun crime that has been sweeping the Palmetto State capital.
The stupid part about this law is that the discharge of rifles and center-fire pistols is already illegal inside the city of Columbia.
What happened was Benjamin wanted to ban them outright in the city……but state law has a preemption clause that prohibits counties and municipalities from making laws pertaining to the possession of any type of firearms. They can regulate use, but not possession. Benjamin, being the legal genius that he is, didn’t do a second of research before jumping in front of a news camera and saying he was going to ban them. After finding out he couldn’t, they changed it up to ban the use of them……which was already illegal.
Here’s a key question. Just how many bump fire stocks were actually in Columbia SC?
What happens if someone uses a rifle equipped with the bump fire stock for self defense in the city? Will they be sentenced to life for a justified self defense shooting? Will the prosecutor attempt to push for a death sentence over a bump fire stock being used for self defense?
ARTICLE 7
Local Regulations
SECTION 23-31-510. Regulation of ownership, transfer, or possession of firearm or ammunition; discharge on landowner’s own property.
No governing body of any county, municipality, or other political subdivision in the State may enact or promulgate any regulation or ordinance that regulates or attempts to regulate:
(1) the transfer, ownership, possession, carrying, or transportation of firearms, ammunition, components of firearms, or any combination of these things; or
(2) a landowner discharging a firearm on the landowner’s property to protect the landowner’s family, employees, the general public, or the landowner’s property from animals that the landowner reasonably believes pose a direct threat or danger to the landowner’s property, people on the landowner’s property, or the general public. For purposes of this item, the landowner’s property must be a parcel of land comprised of at least twenty-five contiguous acres. Any ordinance regulating the discharge of firearms that does not specifically provide for an exclusion pursuant to this item is unenforceable as it pertains to an incident described in this item; otherwise, the ordinance is enforceable.
HISTORY: 1986 Act No. 532, Section 2; 2008 Act No. 220, Section 1, eff May 21, 2008.
you would think if it worked this way, logically all we would have to do is ban murder. but with some people, logic just isn’t there.
You might be on to something here. I say not just murder but let’s declare all crime to be illegal. Then we can just ban crime – why has no one thought of this before?
(snicker)
ahh Liberals making more things double super mega extra King Kong butt raping Godzilla on a bed of tofu with plaid flannel sheets illegal again I see…
Wonder when that’ll actually start working.
The day after the next round of regulations, but not until the next round after that is implemented. So basically never. They will move the goal post every time to justify the idiocy
You know I think liberals think in click bait headlines. That’s all this shit is starting to sound like. If we ban this one simple thing it will save the children etc etc.
The Murder rate in this country was enormous until they did one simple thing.
Gun owners hate this simple trick.
Her husband was killed she wrote this law and the result? I am so voting for this!
This law could actually pass constitutional review
A Resident of Columbia South Carolina could bring his legally possessed bump stock to another county can use it there
What does Massachusetts plan to do about that pesky 9 th amendment about not taking property without paying compensation?
Or that other amendment about no ex post facto laws?
5th Amendment, sport.
Law will pass constitutionally all day long. It just “prohibits the use” of bump stocks. Using any gun that they can actually be attached to is already illegal, so it is 100% useless.
Docduracoat,
If Massachusetts state government ignores the Second Amendment, it should be no surprise when they also ignore the Ninth Amendment, judicial precedent, Common Law, the presumption of innocence, etc., etc., etc.
Always remember, the Second Amendment is the proverbial “canary in the coal mine” of rights and basic human dignity.
You can’t just ban murder, some people just need killing.
(Sarc)
Except for military and law enforcement… Oh yeah because civies are second class Americans. Thanks for the reminder.
I wonder if the police union fought to get that LEO carve-out, or if they are so used to carve-outs the legislators just automatically throw that in any time there’s a gun law they want to pass.
I mean, obviously bump-stocks are only made for inaccurate spray-and-pray murderathons, but… y’know… they are a legitimate tool of policing, right?
The ‘only ones’ carve out is ingrained in most liberals. They are beholden to the unions more than the officers themselves, so they automatically give them a carve out. Famously people lost their minds when the New York unSAFE act failed to include the carveout.
can you imagine the meltdown the left would have if a cop used a bump-stock in a defensive situation? The scurry to be the most outraged would be something to behold.
Banana “Republics”: Country of Columbia, District of Columbia, and now City of Columbia.
The fact that there is a carve out for military and police for an accessory that is worthless to them since they can already get the real deal, (or are issued select fire/full auto weapons to begin with) makes my head spin. Save these stories for Fridays so I at least have the weekend to recover from the stupidity.
Security theater, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
Ya’ know I saw a Bumpfire stock for sale last month at a favorite Indiana gunshop(Westforth,Gary). They sold it for $500. Not a felony,no muss,no fuss…Indiana rocks.
I feel the need to go there and bumpfire 1000 rounds with my belt. You for them to see their stupidity. But given that they are stupid, i might end up in jail for that so i’d rather not try…
About time. It was horrible visiting South Carolina this summer and being constantly assaulted with faux-automatic fire. You’d never see it, but you could hear the bullets humming all around you, sounding for all the world like mosquitos. Occasionally you’d discover some had hit you and left little, itchy welts all over exposed skin (they never penetrated much; must have been .9mm). It’s good to know someone’s finally addressing the issue.
That there is funny JJ48.
Literally banned registered owners from buying a piece of plastic while removing zero from people who already own them. Great job. There isn’t anything it can do that a rubber band can’t.
Looks an clear illegal ordnance and anybody who vote yes should face felony charges.
SC have another probs as the very restrictice shall issue carry law,
Pass open carry, auto honoring all ccw”s out of state, shall issue non resident at 18, kill any public “no gun zone” , remove inform officer and force of law of private sigs and stop this bullshit here !!
Whiz kid Mayor drove with no headlights ( drunk some say ) after his election, crashed into a woman injuring her , got a minor ticket only.
Laws only apply to SOME of us.
http://wach.com/news/local/mayor-benjamin-reaches-settlement-in-wreck
And not a single fuck was given that day.
The first state? Not quite. Bump fire stocks were already illegal in NJ.
At least all the sites selling them already said they could not legally ship them to NJ, and I was willing to take their word for it!
Lawsuit against city of Columbia will happen by week’s end. Same attorney who filed suit (and won) against city for their “expanded gun-free zone” around the state capital.
It’s on! Lawsuit filed and served!
https://www.free-times.com/news/local-and-state-news/lawsuit-already-filed-challenging-columbia-s-bump-stock-ban/article_fffd5dac-e5ce-11e7-be62-5f438ecc15ee.html
Had to google this. Since when did South Carolina start electing Democrats to office? Not only that, their mayor won with 65% of the vote last election. I think my brain is melting right now. When did the progressive cancer spread to South Carolina?
They should have passed a law banning criminal use of a bump fire stock that way someone inadvertently using a bump fire stock in a self defense shooting would not be facing life in prison for self defense.
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