Machine gun 'modification' increases gun violence in the US

One evening last November, 11-year-old Domonic Davis was playing not far from his mother's house in Cincinnati, Ohio, when a series of gunshots rang out from a passing car.

More than two dozen bullets flew through the night and into the children in the blink of an eye. The shooting killed Domonic, in addition to four other children and a woman.

The shooting remains under investigation. Federal investigators believe the 22 shots were fired so rapidly because the weapon had been illegally converted to fire like a machine gun.

A row of AR-15 rifles, one equipped with a conversion device that allows it to fire automatically, and a fully automatic M-16 machine gun. Photo: AP

Recent years have seen shootings across the United States carried out with legal weapons illegally converted to full automatic, due to the popularity of "custom" parts made with 3D printers or ordered online.

America has long had anti-machine gun laws. But the proliferation of devices known by nicknames like Glock switches, auto-lights, and chips has allowed people to turn legal semi-automatic weapons into even more dangerous ones, contributing to gun violence.

This is a serious problem, according to Steve Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). "Police officers are facing fully automatic weapon fire in unprecedented numbers," he said.

According to the most recent ATF data, the number of gun “modification” devices seized by police departments increased 570% from 2017 to 2021. From 2012 to 2016, police departments across the US found 814 conversion devices and turned them over to the ATF. In cities like Indianapolis, Indiana, police are confiscating them weekly.

The parts used to “modify” guns can be made on a 3D printer in about 30 minutes, or ordered online from overseas for less than $30. Modifying the gun’s structure is also done quickly. “It only takes two or three seconds to put the conversion devices on a gun and turn it into an automatic machine gun immediately,” Mr. Dettelbach said.

When modified, the gun will be able to fire continuously instead of just one shot, and will not stop until it runs out of bullets or the shooter releases the trigger. This feature is not significantly different from the banned automatic machine gun. According to the ATF, the "modified" guns can fire at a rate of over 800 rounds per minute.

Along with the rapid rate of fire, the shooter has a much harder time controlling the gun due to the high recoil. This makes it impossible for the shooter to control the weapon he is holding and accidentally shoots more people.

Some "modified" devices for semi-automatic pistols. Photo: AP

Although these devices are considered illegal under federal law as machine guns, many states do not have specific laws against them. In the United States, only 15 states have specific laws against the possession, sale, or manufacture of automatic weapons.

The conversion devices used to "modify" guns are usually the size of a coin. Because of their small size, once installed on a gun, they can easily escape the police's notice if they are not paying attention.

These items appear safer than they actually are, says Mr. Dettelbach. They are pieces of plastic and metal that fit snugly onto a gun, making them difficult to spot.

Hoai Phuong (according to AP)

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