Even US gun lobby is ready to target 'bump stocks' after Las Vegas shooting

Senior Republicans also signalled they were ready to deal with the sale of bump stocks

The US gun lobby, which has seldom embraced new firearms-control measures, voiced a readiness on Thursday to restrict a rifle accessory that enabled a Las Vegas gunman to strafe a crowd with bursts of sustained heavy fire as if from an automatic weapon.

Police have said the shooter, Stephen Paddock, equipped 12 of his weapons with so-called bump-stock devices that allow semiautomatic rifles to operate as if they were fully automatic machine guns, which are otherwise outlawed in the United States.

Authorities said his ability to fire hundreds of rounds per minute over the course 10 minutes from a 32nd-floor hotel suite