A semiautomatic rifle that 'sprays like a fire hose' has slipped through legal loopholes even though machine guns are illegal



The SFS BFR 'bump gun' is fed bullets from a belt and can fire thousands of rounds at a time

It will go on sale this autumn for $6,000



The weapon uses the recoil to 'bump' the gun, speeding up the rate of fire



It is technically still a semiautomatic weapon, which means it can be sold to the general public



Newly-manufactured automatic weapons, such as machine guns, are illegal for civilians to buy



A machine gun can normally fire up to 1,000 bullets per minute



A semiautomatic rifle that mimics the rapid fire of a machine gun is about to hit the shelves.



The SFS BFR, made by Texas company, Slide Fire, is fed bullets from a belt, which gives it the potential to have thousands of rounds of ammunition.



The weapon will be available this autumn and will sell for $6,000, according to Brandon Renner, the sales and marketing manager for Slide Fire.



He said the gun ‘sprays like a fire hose’.



‘We recommend no more than 30 rounds on the belt, but one person could make it as big as they want.’

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Approved: The new bump stock rifle which fires like a machine gun has been deemed as legal by The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Ready, aim... fire! The rifle fires multiple rounds like a machine gun

Spray like a hose: The bullet casings fly out of the weapon as it's fired

The recoil: The part of the gun that makes it all happen - the new rifle is fitted with this smart piece that allows the gun to shoot multiple bullets at a time

Automatic weapons, such as machine guns, are heavily restricted at a federal level for the general public by the National Firearms Act of 1934 and the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986.



Automatic firearms also include short-barreled shotguns and short-barreled rifles. A machine gun can normally fire between 400 and 1,000 bullets per minute, or between 7 and 17 rounds per second.

But the manufacturers of the SFS, also called a ‘bump gun’, found a loop hole.

Of the pieces that make up a gun, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) only regulates the ‘receiver’.



It is the only piece that has a serial number and the only one that requires a background check to purchase.



Slide Fire's technology uses the recoil of the rifle shot to ‘bump’ the gun, speeding up the rate of fire without changing the gun's classification as a semiautomatic.

To be classified as a semiautomatic, the gun is only allowed to fire one round each time the trigger is pulled.



Multiple bullets: Just like this machine gun, the bump gun can fire thousands of rounds from a belt

Semiautomatic: A normal assault rifle (pictured) does not have the bump stock 'recoil' part that moves back and forth to fire the bullets faster

In a video advertisement for the gun, the company states that this type of 'slide stock' technology gives people the ability to 'bump fire more safely' offering 'another element of entertainment for recreational shooters everywhere'.



According to the company, the 'muscular application of force to create forward movement of the firearm defines the will of the shooter to discharge each individual round of ammunition.



‘Each discharge requires a separate decision by the operator to move the firearm back to a firing condition,’ says the ad.



And so, the gun is technically legal.

In a 2010 letter posted on Slide Fire's website, the ATF wrote: ‘We find that the 'bump-stock' is a firearm part and is not regulated as firearm under the Gun Control Act or the National Firearms act.’



ATF spokesman, Christopher Amon, told CNNMoney.com : ‘I can confirm that ATF did approve the device referenced in the letter and that the Slide Fire is legal.’



Slide Fire, based in Moran, Texas, already sells bump-stocks for $370 that speed up the rate of fire for semiautomatics.



The company also sells semiautomatic rifles that have already been accessorised for bump-fire, costing between $1,150 to $1,950.



But these guns use magazines, not belts, and thus have limited ammo capacity.



A spokeswoman for Wal-Mart, one of the largest gun sellers in America, said the company does not sell Slide Fire products, and will not be offering the belt-fed rifle.



Machine guns: Automatic assault rifles can fire up to 1,000 rounds a minute just by holding the trigger

Reborn: Slide Fire's new gun has been called 'a poor man's machine gun' by weapons shop owners

James Hill, owner of the Abilene Indoor Gun Range, located about 50 miles away from Slide Fire's headquarters, told CNNMoney.com that the company's bump-fire accessories are quite popular with his customers.



But Hill, who referred to the Slide Fire products as ‘a poor man's machine gun’, doesn't plan to sell the belt-fed gun, because he doesn't believe there will be much of a demand for it.



He said the Slide Fire rifle is a bit more challenging to fire than a fully automatic weapon.



‘It's not as easy [as full auto], but it's fairly idiot proof,’ he said.

It has been unlawful since 1934, under The National Firearms Act, for civilians to own machine guns without special permission from the US Treasury Department.

Since the Firearms Owners' Protection Act of May 19, 1986, ownership of newly manufactured machine guns has been prohibited to civilians.

