According to Firearm Chronicles
LOS ANGELES – The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t slowed federal authorities in Los Angeles from actively working to track down thousands of illegal machine gun conversion kits that have been imported into the U.S. from other countries.
The converters, often referred to as ‘Glock converter switches,’ are smaller than the size of a coin but can turn a Glock pistol into a fully-automatic weapon.
Agents from the ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives, are concerned these devices could get into the hands of criminals, especially at a time when gun sales are on the rise. “It’s a metal piece, actually three pieces. They are placed in the back of the slide here and convert this firearm to a fully automatic firearm,” said Stephen Galloway, assistant special agent in charge for the ATF in Los Angeles. “If you had a high capacity magazine, you’re taking about 30 rounds going down or being shot at one time.” The devices themselves are considered machine guns and they’re illegal for anyone to own.
Galloway says the ATF has been tracking shipments of these devices from overseas but some are even being made right here in Southern California. “We have seen cases here in L.A. where these are manufactured at home or within a machine shop,” Galloway said. “We have seen cases here in L.A. where these are manufactured at home or within a machine shop,” Galloway said.