Portland, Ore. – Multnomah County’s District Attorney says there has been a big increase in the use of illegal “rapid fire conversion devices” used to turn handguns into machine guns. “These devices can be placed on in a matter of seconds, without any technical firearm knowledge,” says D.A. Nathan Vasquez, “They simply snap into place, oftentimes.”
A video posted recently to social media by Vasquez’s office shows the difference between firing a typical handgun, which shoots an average of three rounds per second, and one converted with the illegal rapid-fire attachment. “Particularly when they’re paired with extended magazines or drum magazines,” says Vasquez, “You have individuals who are firing anywhere from 30-100 rounds in just a few seconds.”
The devices, also called “Glock switches,” are illegal in Oregon and Vasquez has tracked their use for several years – initially they were only sold on the dark web. “But here, recently in the last six months,” he says, “I’ve seen very mainstream Instagram, Facebook posts showing people using them and making it look like this is just a normal firearm accessory. And it absolutely is not.” They’re turning up at more crime scenes, even with juvenile offenders, all over the state…