In a recent development, the Supreme Court has agreed to review a challenge to the federal ban on bump stocks, as announced by the Trump administration following a tragic mass shooting incident on the Las Vegas Strip in 2017. The Biden administration, seeking to uphold the ban, had requested the Supreme Court to reverse a lower-court ruling that went against the prohibition.

Bump stocks are devices that, when attached to rifles, increase the rate at which bullets can be fired. The Biden administration argues that these devices fall under the legal definition of machine guns, which have been banned since 1986. They claim that bump stocks enable a shooter to fire hundreds of bullets per minute with a single pull of the trigger, making them extremely dangerous. The possession of such weapons has been prohibited by Congress for valid reasons.

Michael Cargill, who challenged the ban after being required to surrender his own devices in 2019, argued that bump stocks serve as a useful tool for individuals with limited finger dexterity. He also asserted that the federal government did not classify these devices as machine guns for nearly a decade.

Notably, over the course of their legality, Americans purchased a staggering 520,000 bump stocks. The current rule mandates owners to either surrender or destroy the devices they legally acquired. Cargill's attorneys raised concerns that those who have already surrendered their bump stocks will not be able to recover them if the rule continues to stand, with an estimated expected loss of property exceeding $100 million according to the ATF.

The Supreme Court's decision to accept the case indicates that it will be heard and decided within the current term, concluding in June. This development comes in the wake of the court's significant 2022 ruling, which recognized a constitutional right to carry firearms outside the home and raised questions regarding other existing gun restrictions. The justices are scheduled to consider another Second Amendment case next week, centered around a challenge to a federal law that bans individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms. This challenge draws partly from the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling.

Prior to this, the bump stock ban had been appealed to the Supreme Court on several occasions, though those cases were not taken up by the justices. However, in the present situation, a District Court and a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld the ban. Subsequently, after a rehearing by a full panel of judges, the 5th Circuit reversed its decision in a fractured ruling. It was then that the Justice Department sought the intervention of the Supreme Court.

The review of this case will have significant implications for the regulation of bump stocks and reignite the ongoing debate surrounding gun control measures in the United States. The Supreme Court's decision will shape the future of federal regulations pertaining to the possession and use of such devices, with potential implications for firearm legislation as a whole.