In the last several years, a proliferation of tiny pieces of plastic and metal is fueling a spike in semi-automatic handguns converted to fully automatic fire.

Communities around the U.S. have seen shootings carried out with weapons converted to fully automatic in recent years, fueled by a staggering increase in small pieces of metal or plastic made with a 3D printer or ordered online. Laws against machine guns date back to the bloody violence of Prohibition-era gangsters. But the proliferation of devices known by nicknames such as Glock switches, auto sears and chips has allowed people to transform legal semi-automatic weapons into even more dangerous guns, helping fuel gun violence, police and federal authorities said.

The (ATF) reported a 570% increase in the number of conversion devices collected by police departments between 2017 and 2021, the most recent data available.

The devices that can convert legal semi-automatic weapons can be made on a 3D printer in about 35 minutes or ordered from overseas online for less than $30. They’re also quick to install.

“It takes two or three seconds to put in some of these devices into a firearm to make that firearm into a machine gun instantly,” Dettelbach said.

  • snooggumsEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    “It is the scary looking things.” Sounds pro gun?

    Weird.

    • guylacaptivite@sh.itjust.works
      33·
      10 months ago

      Kinda dismisses the real criticism people have with guns yeah. They are not advocating against them simply because “they look scary”.

      • snooggumsEnglish
        6·
        10 months ago

        I’m saying the people who are making and enforcing laws are focused on the scary looking parts of guns instead of the actual problems of motivation and prevalence of guns as a whole. Instead they ban cosmetic things like in the 90’s assault weapons ban while doing nothing about the actual problems like pistols in general and how easy it is for people to acquire them.

        Automatic conversions are already illegal and were never that hard to do before 3d printing. Yes, they need to do something, but it doesn’t address the underlying issue of mass shootings and why people are doing them and automatic weapons don’t tend to increase the number of casualties in most mass shootings.

        • guylacaptivite@sh.itjust.works
          21·
          10 months ago

          I understood that the first time yeah. And I think you agree with me since you edited your comment to further explain your idea. I’m not contradicting your argument, I agree with it and appreciate that you addressed my criticism. I think it’s a hot enough topic to warrant being a bit less open to interpretation, especially in text form.