Illegal attachments known as “Switches,” which can convert a standard handgun into a fully automatic weapon within seconds, are becoming an increasingly serious threat to polices due to the uncontrolled firepower they create.
In recent months, “Glock Switches” (also called Glock Auto Sears) have been frequently encountered on modified firearms seized by police units. These small devices fundamentally alter the operating mechanism of semi‑automatic handguns. By transforming a standard Glock pistol into a deadly machine pistol capable of emptying an entire magazine with a single pull of the trigger, they pose a significant public‑safety concern.
What Is a Glock switch?
A switch—functioning as an “auto sear” in technical terminology—is a small device integrated into a semi‑automatic firearm, which normally fires one round per trigger pull. When installed, this part changes the firing mode of the weapon and turns it into a fully automatic firearm. As long as the user keeps the trigger depressed, the gun continues firing without interruption.
How does the system work?
The working mechanism of the switch is based on interfering with the weapon’s factory‑set safety and firing cycle:
Installation: This modification is typically performed by removing the standard back plate located at the rear of the slide on Glock pistols and replacing it with a modified plate that contains the switch mechanism.
Mechanical intervention: During a normal semi‑automatic firing cycle, after a round is fired, the slide moves backward and then forward again. During this movement, the trigger mechanism’s disconnector resets the striker or hammer. For the next shot, the shooter must release the trigger and pull it again.
Fully automatic cycle: When the switch is engaged, it manipulates this disconnector part. As soon as the slide closes, it immediately releases the striker. This allows the striker to keep hitting the primer continuously as long as the trigger remains pressed, causing the weapon to empty its magazine within seconds.
Safety and legal considerations
Experts emphasize that this modification makes the firearm extremely difficult to control. The intense recoil created during fully automatic fire greatly reduces accuracy, causing rounds to scatter uncontrollably and putting innocent bystanders at serious risk.
In the United States and many other countries, converting a firearm into a fully automatic weapon or possessing such a device without the required federal licenses and special permits is a federal offense that carries severe prison sentences.