Glock switches: 5 questions answered about the devices showing up at Indy crime scenes

Sarah Nelson, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read
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At Indianapolis crime scenes, an increasing number of devices that turn semiautomatic guns into fully automatic firearms are popping up, causing concern among local police.

Here’s what to know about these devices and the concerning rise of them in local crime:

What is a machine gun conversion device?

A machine gun conversion device is an accessory that, when installed, allows semi-automatic guns to fire without repeatedly pulling the trigger. The accessories are defined as a machine gun under the National Firearms Act even when not installed.

The devices give a handgun the ability to fire 31 rounds in 2.1 seconds, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Does Glock make 'switches'?

The Glock “switch” quickly attached to a handgun, converting the firearm from shooting one bullet per trigger squeeze to having the capability of firing until the trigger is released, pictured, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at Great Oaks Firing Range in Sharonville, Ohio.
The Glock “switch” quickly attached to a handgun, converting the firearm from shooting one bullet per trigger squeeze to having the capability of firing until the trigger is released, pictured, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, at Great Oaks Firing Range in Sharonville, Ohio.

No. Though commonly referred to as a Glock switch, police stress that the gun manufacturer Glock does not make these accessories.

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Do machine gun conversion devices have other names?

Yes. Commonly referred to names for machine gun conversion devices, according to the ATF, include:

  • Auto sear

  • Glock auto sear

  • DIAS

  • Lightning link

  • Swift link

  • Selector switch

  • Glock selector switch

  • Chip

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How are machine gun conversion devices getting into Indy?

Lt. Shane Foley of Indianapolis police said machine gun conversion devices are often 3D printed and then sold on the street. In August 2022, a Franklin man was federally charged with manufacturing machine guns after investigators said he was 3D printing firearms and Glock switches that he sold to an undercover agent. Switches also are shipped from overseas, Foley said. ATF filed a case earlier this year against a Dallas man who received 30 switches from Taiwan. Investigators intercepted the packages and an undercover agent made the delivery.

Why are they a danger to public safety?

Police said because these devices, when attached, allow a gun to fire more rounds in a much shorter period of time, they make a firearm much more difficult to control.

“Somebody might be aiming in one place, and the rounds might be going somewhere completely different because it becomes that much more difficult to manage,” said Foley.

Contact Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: What is a Glock switch? A guide to the illegal devices emerging in Indy

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