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.

  • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    4 months ago

    It’s not like the US doesn’t have all that on top of the gun violence.

    • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      4 months ago

      'Course, the last time a dude threatened to stab me by pulling a knife on me, I threatened to shoot him by pulling out a gun on him in return, and he decided the best outcome for all would be to walk away.

      He was right, I didn’t get stabbed, he didn’t get shot, and I was able to walk into the hell that was “pandemic Walmart” unscathed, as a direct result of me being armed.

      • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        So, what you’re saying is that Europe should just get a lot of guns to get rid of people threatening knife violence?

        Dude, there’s a reason why the US has lots of gun violence. It’s because of the easy access to guns.

        No guns = no gun violence.

          • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            That’s just not how it works, because knifes are not specifically designed to kill people. Guns are. Some guns are even designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

            • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              4 months ago

              Some knives are for sure designed to kill people. You cutting potatoes with a karambit or balisong? Then there’s arrows, or as I like to call them (as of this moment) shooty knives.

              Furthermore, guns are technically designed “to fire a projectile” as knives are technically designed “to cut or pierce.” The issue comes up with what is being fired or cut upon, which could be legal or murder in either case.

              Furtherfurthermore, yes, guns do happen to be good at killing people, and sometimes that does need to happen as unfortunate as that is. We call that “self defense.” Just so happens guns are the best tool for that job. Could I use a coin to screw in a flathead? Sure, but a screwdriver was designed to screw screws and as such is the tool I would prefer to use if I have to screw a screw.

              • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                4 months ago

                The lengths to which people will go to defend their tools of death. School massacres? Who cares! Bowling alleys? Who cares! Shopping malls? Not my problem! Nail salons? Nah!

                Unreal.