New York proposes a ban on guns that are easy to convert to illegal automatic weapons
Source: NPR
May 18, 2024 5:01 AM ET
A tiny, inexpensive device is all it takes to modify some semi-automatic handguns into illegal automatic weapons capable of firing multiple rounds with one pull of the trigger. These auto sear switches often turn up at homicide crime scenes across the country and have become a rapidly growing problem for law enforcement in recent years.
Maryland this week became the latest state to pass a law to address the surge of auto sears or Glock switches, as they're commonly known, because Glock 9 mm pistols are the kind of handgun most commonly modified this way. Meanwhile, New York recently introduced legislation that would go even further by outlawing the sale of any firearm that could be easily modified by an auto sear.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) says the proliferation of auto sears has hit epidemic proportions. Nearly 5,500 devices were recovered by police departments from 2017 to 2021, according to the ATF. Director Steve Dettelbach warned last year that they are "flooding our communities."
Glock switches cost as little as $50
Also known as a trigger switch or a conversion device, these third-party add-ons can bypass a semi-automatic trigger mechanism, allowing the weapon to fire rounds in quick succession with a single pull. They can be purchased for as little as $50 or inexpensively made with a 3D printer. "This increasing demand for machine guns by criminal elements does not just present a public safety danger, it is unsafe for law enforcement as well, who are increasingly outgunned by the weaponry they face," says Kristina Mastropasqua, an ATF spokesperson.
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2024/05/18/1250974931/glock-switch-auto-sear-trigger-new-york-maryland-handguns
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