Federal prosecutors warn of 3D-printed machine gun conversion devices

Lauren Sforza

11 June 2024 at 10:07 am·1-min read

Federal prosecutors in Texas are warning of illegal machine gun conversion devices that can be produced on 3D printers.

U.S. Attorneys within all four judicial districts of Texas revealed “Operation Texas Kill Switch” Monday, a project aimed to target these illegal conversion devices that are also known as “switches.” These switches can turn commercially available firearms into fully automatic weapons, the office noted.

“We’re here to talk about a roughly one-inch piece of plastic. It looks innocuous enough, a little like a Lego or a K’Nex block,” U.S. attorney Leigha Simonton said Monday at a press conference. “But this one-inch piece of plastic is killing people.”

“Machinegun conversion devices can turn Second Amendment-protected firearms into illegal weapons of war, and petty criminals into brutal killers,” she continued. “We cannot have our streets turned into war zones. We cannot, and we will not, allow switches to proliferate in north Texas.”

The office said that these switches are about an inch long and can be made from metal or plastic. They are slotted into the butt of the gun, allowing the shooter to shoot in “full auto” mode, according to the office.

The National Firearms Act defines these switches as machine guns.

The U.S. Attorneys said that the number of switches found by law enforcement in the state has “risen dramatically” in recent years. Texas-based Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives (ATF) agents seized 991 switches between 2017 and 2023 — at least half were seized last year alone.

The Texas prosecutors said they will be partnering with local Crime Stopper programs statewide to target the proliferation of these switches.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.

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