The ATF said it is seeing an alarming increase in glock switches and other gun conversion kits.
A glock switch is roughly the size of a nickel and attaches to the back of a handgun or rifle. The tiny device can turn a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machine gun.
Brian Mein, the ATF’s Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Division, said glock switches can fire up to 30 rounds of ammunition in under two seconds.
He said that speed can make these weapons incredibly inaccurate and dangerous.
"It’s really a recipe for disaster," Mein said. "Even the most experienced shooters that test fire these devices have a hard time staying on target with them."
Mein said from 2017 to 2021, the ATF saw a 510% increase in glock switches across the country.
Here in South Carolina, the ATF seized 63 Glock switches last year.
Mein said he believes that number could be a lot higher because local agencies are not required to report them to the ATF.
In the Grand Strand and Pee Dee, police reports obtained by WMBF News show most glock switches are being recovered inside cars and during traffic stops.