All articles tagged with #machine guns
Originally Published 3 months ago — by Business Insider
The ongoing war in Ukraine has significantly increased demand for the 100-year-old M2 heavy machine gun, with FN Browning reporting doubled global demand and quadrupled ammunition production, driven by Ukraine's use of these weapons for air defense and drone countermeasures, alongside renewed interest in vintage military equipment.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Euromaidan Press
Russian forces have started using North Korean Type 73 machine guns in Ukraine, marking the first known use of North Korean small arms by Russian troops. This development, reported by Ukrainian defense publication Militarnyi, suggests a strategic partnership between Russia and North Korea, possibly facilitated through Iran. Despite Russia's own production capabilities and stockpiles, the use of these weapons highlights Moscow's reliance on new alliances and non-traditional sources for military supplies.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by WLS-TV
Chicago has filed a lawsuit against Glock, accusing the company of facilitating the proliferation of illegal machine guns in the city by manufacturing and selling easily convertible semiautomatic pistols. The lawsuit, the first to use Illinois' new Firearms Industry Responsibility Act, seeks to hold Glock accountable for endangering the public. The city is seeking a court order to cease sales of these pistols to civilians in Chicago, as well as penalties and damages for the harm caused. This comes as law enforcement has recovered over 1,100 converted Glocks in connection with various crimes in the last two years.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by ABC News
The proliferation of illegal conversion devices, such as Glock switches and auto sears, has allowed people to transform 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, enable guns to fire at a rate of 800 or more bullets per minute. The ATF reported a 570% increase in the number of conversion devices collected by police departments between 2017 and 2021. While federal law considers these devices illegal machine guns, many states lack specific laws against them, posing a significant challenge for law enforcement.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Associated Press
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.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by NPR
The U.S. Supreme Court appeared divided over the federal ban on bump stocks, devices that modify semiautomatic guns to fire rapidly. The government argues that the ban falls within its authority to regulate machine guns, while challengers claim only Congress can enact such a ban. Justices expressed skepticism about the ATF's authority to reinterpret the law and debated the distinction between machine guns and modified semiautomatic weapons. A decision is expected by summer.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by CBS San Francisco
California authorities seized a massive arsenal of high-power weaponry, including 11 machine guns, 60 assault rifles, and a million rounds of ammunition, from a man's home in Richmond. The man, who is legally prohibited from owning weapons, was identified through the state's Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS). The database helps identify individuals who are no longer allowed to possess firearms due to reasons such as violent crime convictions, restraining orders, or serious mental illness. The state has not disclosed the man's identity.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Des Moines Register
Adair police chief Bradley Wendt has been convicted of 11 out of 15 federal charges, including conspiracy and lying to obtain machine guns for personal use and eventual resale, abusing his authority as police chief and owner of two Iowa gun stores. Wendt falsely told the ATF that the weapons he sought were for his police department, when in fact he wanted them for himself. He was also found guilty of conspiring with other gun store owners to acquire machine guns on false pretenses and illegally using a gun registered to the Adair Police Department for a machine gun shoot organized by his private gun store.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Washington Post
Machine guns are making a comeback on American streets due to small conversion devices that can easily turn semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic weapons capable of firing 20 bullets in one second. These devices, known by various names such as switches or sears, are considered machine guns by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The devices can be made of metal or plastic and are sometimes imported from China or created using 3D printers. While civilians can legally purchase automatic weapons under certain conditions, the possession of conversion switches is a growing concern. Law enforcement officials are calling for higher penalties for possession of these devices, as they pose a significant threat to public safety.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Gothamist
A federal judge in Brooklyn has issued a preliminary injunction banning firearms company Rare Breed Triggers from selling a trigger device that can turn a legal, semiautomatic rifle into an illegal machine gun. The judge agreed with federal prosecutors that the company's FRT-15 trigger is likely illegal and accused the company of misleading customers into believing the triggers were legal. Rare Breed Triggers has sold approximately 100,000 potentially illegal triggers, bringing in $39 million in less than two years. The ruling is part of a larger legal debate about the definition of a machine gun and the ATF's authority to regulate firearms, which is likely to go before the U.S. Supreme Court in the coming months.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CNN
A federal judge in New York has issued a temporary injunction preventing two firearms companies, Rare Breed Triggers and Rare Breed Firearms, from selling a device called the FRT-15, which prosecutors claim converts AR-15 style rifles into machine guns. Prosecutors argue that the companies intentionally failed to register the accessories and sold approximately 100,000 of them despite demands from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to stop. The judge found that the companies likely conspired to hide their sales from the ATF and interfere with their ability to track and confiscate the devices. The ruling marks the first time a company has been barred from selling such an accessory.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Reuters
A U.S. district judge in Brooklyn has granted a court injunction against firearms company Rare Breed Triggers LLC, blocking the sale of after-market triggers that allow AR-15 style rifles to be converted into machine guns. The judge ruled that the triggers were illegal machine guns under federal law and that the company had defrauded customers by falsely claiming their legality. The decision also highlighted alleged efforts by the company to obstruct government tracking and confiscation of the devices. This is the first preliminary injunction of its kind, and it comes amidst a broader debate over rapid-fire gun devices and their legality.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by USA TODAY
A Mississippi man with a prior felony conviction has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for illegally manufacturing machine guns using 3D printers. Kent Edward Newhouse used 3D printers to manufacture a firearms component called an "auto sear," which turns a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun. Auto sears have been turning up more often in places like Louisville and Washington D.C. Congressional Democrats have reintroduced legislation to prevent the importation and trafficking of conversion devices such as auto sears.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CNN
Frederick County Sheriff Charles Austin Jenkins and firearms dealer Robert Justin Krop have been indicted on charges of conspiracy and false statements to acquire machine guns, as well as illegal possession of seven machine guns. The two allegedly conspired to unlawfully purchase machine guns by falsifying documents on the sheriff’s office letterhead, which requested machine guns for evaluation and demonstration for the office. Instead of using the guns for demonstrations, the pair intended for them to be rented to Krop’s customers to benefit his business. If convicted, the two face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CNN
Frederick County Sheriff Charles Austin Jenkins and firearms dealer Robert Justin Krop have been indicted on charges of conspiracy and false statements to acquire machine guns, as well as illegal possession of seven machine guns. The two allegedly conspired to unlawfully purchase machine guns by falsifying documents on the sheriff’s office letterhead, which requested machine guns for evaluation and demonstration for the office. Instead of using the guns for demonstrations, the pair intended for them to be rented to Krop’s customers to benefit his business. If convicted, the two face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.