DOVER, Del.- Delaware lawmakers have announced legislation that would make it illegal to buy, sell, transfer or possess "bump stocks" or similar firearm attachments, a move attached to several firearms found with the gunman who killed more than 50 people and injured hundreds others at a music festival in Las Vegas in October.

House Bill 300 targets bump stocks, trigger cranks, or other devices that accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun. Violations would be a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. The legislation could be voted on as early as next year, once lawmakers return to session.

Bump stocks use a semiautomatic rifle's recoil to “bump” the firearm back and forth between someone's shoulder and their trigger finger, allowing a higher rate of fire.

A gun shop owner interviewed by WBOC in October said some gun owners will buy or use a bump fire stock as an alternative to owning an automatic weapon banned under federal law.

Authorities said a number of the rifles found with Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock, who opened fire on a crowd attending a music festival had been fitted with bump stocks. The Clark County Sheriff's Office said Paddock was able to fire more than 1,100 rounds.

A number of states have introduced legislation banning the use of bump stocks, including California, Ohio, Massachusetts, Missouri and New Jersey. Legislation has also been introduced at the federal level.

Following the Las Vegas mass shooting, Massachusetts instituted a ban and became the first state to do so after the incident.