Feds Join With 3D Printing Industry to Stop Illegal Machine Gun Conversion Devices

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) announced a plan stop the dissemination of machine gun conversion devices on Friday.

Commonly called “Glock switches” or “auto sears,” the devices are after-market parts that allow legal semiautomatic firearms to operate as fully automatic weapons, which are illegal under current laws.

This is in contrast to subtractive manufacturing, in which an item is made by removing material, such as in sculpting, carving, or milling.

Monaco announced the establishment of the Justice Department’s Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machinegun Conversion Devices (ANTI-MCD).

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She said the group will consist of law enforcement officials and prosecutors who will track MCDs and work with state and local officials, as well as the 3D printing industry, to stop the distribution of the devices.

The ATF is also creating a national training initiative for law enforcement and prosecutors based on the latest data and developments in 3D printing technology, Monaco said.

Along those lines, all 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country will contact law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices in their areas to devise enforcement strategies. An example of this is a program begun in Oklahoma City late last year.

U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester and ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek announced “Project Switch Off” on Nov. 29, 2023. Under that program, federal agents trained local police on how to identify MCDs and what the law says about them.

Monaco said almost 500 Oklahoma City police officers have been trained under the program. She said this has increased the number of MCDs recovered by police, which has resulted in more successful federal prosecutions.

Parts Printed at Home

Dettelbach said that a critical element of the plan is to address the “misuse and abuse” of the technology in the production of MCDs. He said the number of MCDs seized by police has increased by 570 percent, which he attributed to the rise of 3D printing technology.

“They’re actually just being printed by inexpensive 3D printers in homes and garages everywhere,” he said.

Dettelbach said MCDs, typically small, almost nondescript parts made from metal or plastic, are hard to recognize for those not familiar with them. He said that anyone who possesses an MCD—even one that is not installed in a gun—is committing a federal crime.

“A conversion device on its own, a device like this on its own, is an illegal machine gun under federal law,” Dettelbach said. “Illegal possession of a machine gun is a federal crime, period.”

Aidan Johnston, director of federal affairs for Gun Owners of America, said he agrees that there’s a problem. But he said regulating homemade components is not the solution. Johnston said it should come as no surprise that criminals are using new technology.

“Criminals will always get firearms and they will always be able to use them,” Johnston told The Epoch Times. “The best thing we could do for public safety is enact policies that will keep us safer to include right to carry laws and the prosecution of violent criminals.”

ATF’s Monaco agreed that law enforcement can’t address the issue alone. She said Friday’s gathering was essential to foster cooperation between government and private industry to ensure that 3D printing technology is not misused.

“We need to engage software developers, technology experts, and leaders in the 3D printing industry to identify solutions in this fight,” she said.