RELEASE: Pro-Gunners Vastly Outnumber Anti-Gunners on ATF Bump Stock Comments

February 6, 2018
For immediate release

Pro-Gunners Vastly Outnumber Anti-Gunners on ATF Bump Stock Comments

Springfield, VA – According to research conducted by The Trace, a publication established by Everytown for Gun Safety and anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) public comments on bump stocks were vastly pro-gun.

According to the publication, “The Trace downloaded the text of more than 32,000 of the comments and used computer scripts to parse and analyze them. The comments overwhelmingly opposed regulating bump stocks. Only 13 percent were in support of the proposal to regulate the devices.”

Eighty-five percent of the comments were opposed to bump stock regulations, thirteen percent supported bump stock regulations, and two percent had an unclear position.

Furthermore, The Trace states that twenty-one percent of the comments mirrored the suggested comment text from Gun Owners of America (GOA), while only seven percent mirrored anti-gun form letters.

GOA was the leading national gun group rallying gun owners to leave comments for the ATF on bump stocks, and many additional comments were generated by GOA supporters who used their own language in their remarks.

Erich Pratt, executive director of GOA, stated, “I thank every Second Amendment supporter who left a pro-gun comment. As GOA has repeatably warned, bump stock regulations are not only about bump stocks; if bump stocks are regulated, then triggers, magazines, and semi-automatic firearms that allegedly ‘increase the rate of fire’ are at risk of regulation or bans as well.”

Gun Owners of America remains committed to fighting any regulation or ban as a result of the ATF’s forthcoming ruling.

Erich Pratt, or another GOA spokesperson, is available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over 1.5 million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Newsroom.

— GOA —