"Rise of Homemade Machine Guns Fuels US Gun Violence Surge"

The proliferation of illegal conversion devices, such as Glock switches and auto sears, has enabled the transformation of legal semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic guns, contributing to a surge in gun violence across the US. These devices, which can be made with a 3D printer or ordered online for less than $30, allow guns to fire at a rate of 800 or more bullets per minute. The ATF reported a 570% increase in the number of these conversion devices collected by police departments between 2017 and 2021. While federal law considers these devices illegal machine guns, many states lack specific regulations against them, posing a significant challenge for law enforcement.