Explained: Lethal device that turns handgun into machine gun sold openly on Twitter, Facebook

More than a year ago, a police investigator in Garland, Texas, alerted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) about a concerning Instagram post. The post reportedly featured a picture of 16 "Glock switches" for sale, small devices that can be attached to Glock handguns to convert them into fully automatic weapons. Possessing or selling these switches is illegal under federal law, as they are classified as machine guns.

Surprisingly, as per a Forbes report, these devices which are also known as 'auto sears' are openly sold on mainstream social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, and Twitter, despite the platforms' policies prohibiting such transactions and criminal behaviour.

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Glock Switches

As mentioned, these small "Lego" sized devices can turn an ordinary Glock handgun into a fully automatic weapon.

The modified weapon as per Forbes can "spray dozens of bullets in seconds, far faster than even typical military-issued firearms."

According to the US ATF, these switches, whether attached to handguns or not, are illegal as they are "classified as a machine gun under federal law". Under federal law in the United States, machine guns manufactured after 1986 are prohibited for civilian ownership. The Firearm Owners' Protection Act of 1986 (FOPA) imposed restrictions on the transfer and possession of fully automatic firearms, commonly referred to as machine guns.

However, despite their illegal nature, in recent years, law enforcement agencies have noticed a significant increase in the prevalence of these illegal switches. As per a 2022 report in the New York Post, these dangerous devices only cost around $20.

The auto sear, which was developed in the 1970s, initially served as a means for gunsmiths and hobbyists to clandestinely create their automatic firearms without attracting government scrutiny.

Today, the production of these switches varies, with some being manufactured domestically using 3D printing technology, while others are imported, primarily from China or the Philippines.

An increase in sales

Federal prosecutions related to these devices rose from 10 to 83 between the years 2017 and 2021, as reported by VICE News and The Trace, an online news portal "dedicated to reporting on gun violence".

As per an NPR report, in Chicago, the number of auto-sears-equippedhandguns skyrocketed from zero in 2018, to 355 in 2021.

These illegal switches are now openly being sold on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. These sales are happening despite the various bans imposed by these platforms.

For example, in 2016, Facebook banned gun and ammunition transactions on the site, however, users found ways to circumvent the ban. Similarly, Twitter has also officially placed a ban on "the promotion of weapons and weapon accessories" worldwide in paid advertisements."

However, a simple search with the keywords "Glock" and "shipping" on the mainstream social media platform Twitter brings up a plethora of results, with accounts selling both these Lego-like switches to modify guns and the guns themselves. Some even offer "free shipping".

What the platforms say

When Forbes contacted Meta, the parent company of Facebook, about two Facebook groups openly selling Glock switches, the groups were taken down for violating community standards. However, as per the Forbes report, other active groups selling these devices still exist on Facebook and Instagram.

Responding to Forbes, Snap stated that selling weapons is "explicitly prohibited on Snapchat," and "Our team quickly removes this type of content when it is discovered, and we take action against people who violate this policy, including potentially deleting their accounts".

Telegram, another platform where these devices are sold, mentioned that the sale of weapons and "harmful content" is not allowed, and they rely on a combination of "proactive monitoring of public parts of our platform in addition to accepting user reports in order to remove such content."

Law enforcement on illegal gun modification gear

Talking to Forbes, prosecutors and law enforcement officials expressed their desire for tech firms to take more responsibility in addressing the harms associated with the sale of these devices.

Police Chief Eddie Garcia of Dallas emphasized the need for platforms to take action.

"We need to make the platforms responsible," he said, highlighting the challenges faced by law enforcement officers dealing with criminals who possess such weaponry.

"This is just another thing that my men and women have to face. The fact is, we are outgunned. Dealing with the criminal element, we are outgunned. My officers don't have Glock switches."

He stated that nearly 800 of these devices were seized in the Dallas metropolitan area in 2022 alone.

Auto Sear and shootings

As per The Trace, these small devices have become increasingly popular among criminals and "have been tied to dozens of shootings by extremists, mass shooters, and drug traffickers."

In multiple instances, guns modified using these devices have been used in tragic shootings. Last year, in April, in downtown Sacramento a shooter, wielding a modified Glock handgun, unleashed gunfire on innocent people, resulting in the loss of six lives and causing injuries to 12 individuals.

(With inputs from agencies)

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