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Bump stock buy-back program ends, over 150 devices returned to Spokane WSP office

In this Jan. 11, 2018 photo, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, right, talks with Rick Wyant, left, supervisor of the forensic firearms unit at the Washington State Patrol crime laboratory in Seattle, as Wyant holds a semi-automatic rifle that has been fitted with a “bump stock” device to make it fire faster. (Ted S. Warren / associated press)
From staff and wire reports
In this Jan. 11, 2018 photo, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, right, talks with Rick Wyant, left, supervisor of the forensic firearms unit at the Washington State Patrol crime laboratory in Seattle, as Wyant holds a semi-automatic rifle that has been fitted with a “bump stock” device to make it fire faster. (Ted S. Warren / associated press)

A program allowing Washington residents to sell their bump stocks to the Washington State Patrol ended Tuesday with about 1,000 devices returned to patrol at $150 each. Of those, 153 were purchased in Spokane, WSP spokesman Jeff Sevigney said.

“Remaining devices should be turned in, but there are no more funds for doing so,” Washington State Patrol tweeted Tuesday.

The buy-back program – offered on March 17 and 18 as well as Sunday and Monday – was a response to a bill signed by Gov. Jay Inslee that banned the devices in Washington. Owners could relinquish up to five devices for $150 each.

“This is a common sense piece of legislation,” Inslee said at the signing on March 6, 2018. “It will help save lives from acts of massive gun violence.”

The Legislature authorized up to $150,000 for the buy-back program. All the money was used.

On Dec. 18, the Trump administration banned bump stocks federally; the ban took effect Tuesday. Gun rights groups asked the Supreme Court to challenge the ban, but the court declined on Thursday.