No. 22-976October Term 2023Decided Jun 14, 2024
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General, et al., Petitioners v. Michael Cargill
The Supreme Court ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its statutory authority by classifying bump stocks as machine guns under federal law.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 14, 2024
- What it's about
The Supreme Court ruled that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) exceeded its statutory authority by classifying bump stocks as machine guns under federal law. The Court determined that a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock does not meet the statutory definition of a machine gun because it does not fire more than one shot by a single function of the trigger.
Question presented
Is a bump stock device a “machinegun” as defined in 26 U.S.C. § 5845(b)?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit / Decision released Jun 14, 2024
- Area
Gun Rights
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology
Primary materials8
Supreme Court docket 22-976
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Mar 30, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Questions Presented
brief | Mar 8, 2026
Opinion
opinion | Jun 14, 2024
Cargill
opinion | Jun 14, 2024
opinion
opinion | Jun 14, 2024
Petition
brief | Apr 6, 2023