New Federal Bill Bans Devices That Speed Up Semi-Automatic Fire Rate, Mandates 120-Day Registration for Existing Owners

The aptly named Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025 is a straightforward piece of legislation designed to regulate accessories that increase the firing speed of semi-automatic firearms. For the average person, this bill means that certain modifications—often associated with making a gun fire almost like a machinegun—will soon be illegal to buy, sell, or possess.

The New Definition and the Immediate Ban

This bill starts by defining a “semiautomatic firearm” for regulatory purposes: essentially, any gun that uses the energy of the shot to load the next round, requiring a separate pull or release of the trigger for each shot. The core of the ban, found in Section 2, prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, receipt, or possession of any device or part designed primarily to attach to a semi-automatic firearm to "significantly speed up the rate of fire" or make it "function as a machinegun." This ban kicks in 120 days after the bill is enacted. This means if you’re a manufacturer or retailer, you have a hard deadline to clear inventory and stop production of these specific accessories. If you’re a regular gun owner, you need to pay close attention to what exactly counts as "significantly speeding up the rate of fire," as that term is key but grants regulators a lot of interpretive power.

The 120-Day Clock for Current Owners

Here’s the part that hits current gun owners directly: If you already own a semi-automatic firearm modified in a way the bill now prohibits, you have a very short window to comply. The bill mandates that existing modified firearms must be registered under the rules of the National Firearms Act (NFA) within 120 days of the law passing. Think of the NFA as the strict governing body for items like machineguns and short-barreled rifles. Registering under the NFA is not a quick trip to the DMV; it involves paperwork, fingerprinting, photography, and often a tax stamp. Failure to meet this tight 120-day deadline means that otherwise legal possession instantly becomes illegal, potentially turning a compliant owner into a felon overnight. This is a massive administrative hurdle for those who own these items, requiring immediate action and compliance with a complex federal process.

Bigger Picture: Who Pays the Cost?

By adding these newly defined modified firearms to the NFA list, the bill subjects them to the same high level of federal scrutiny as machineguns. While the stated goal is to enhance public safety by restricting dangerous accessories—a clear benefit for the general public—the cost falls squarely on current owners and related businesses. For small businesses that manufacture or sell these accessories, the ban means immediate loss of product lines. For the average owner, it means navigating a complex, expensive, and time-sensitive registration process or facing penalties. The bill provides an exemption for government agencies, allowing them to continue importing, making, or possessing these items for official use, but for everyone else, the rules are clear: register quickly or face the ban.