The Rise of Auto Sear Bans in Republican-Led States
Gun conversion devices, also known as auto sears, have become a rare point of bipartisan agreement on gun policy. Although firearm regulations often face pushback in Republican-led states, growing support from local law enforcement officials has helped these bans gain traction.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed into law a bill that made Alabama the 26th state to outlaw gun conversion devices, also known as auto sears. A sear is the part of the gun that holds the hammer or firing pin back until the trigger is pulled.
“While there is a federal ban on these gun conversion devices, we needed a way to empower our own law enforcement here in Alabama to get these illegal and extremely dangerous Glock switches off our streets,” Ivey said in a statement after signing the bill into law.
The Growing Use of Auto Sear Devices in Crimes
These devices, which can be 3D printed or bought online for as little as $20, have become closely associated with Glock handguns, which are often cited as some of the easiest to modify.
Georgia-based Glock Inc. doesn’t manufacture, market or sell the devices, but the brand has become synonymous with them, fueled in part by frequent use of the term “Glock switch” in some genres of music and on social media platforms.
State-Level Bans: A Response to the Growing Threat
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, signed an auto sear ban into law in February as part of a broader public safety package.
New Jersey could become the 27th state to enact a ban, after its General Assembly approved the measure in late March.
Other states — including Virginia and deeply conservative Mississippi — also have recently enacted bans. In GOP-led Tennessee, lawmakers are considered a similar measure, but the bill stalled in committee.
Crime Scenes and the Rise of Auto Sear Devices
The bans on auto sears are a response to a sharp nationwide increase in the number of modified firearms being recovered at crime scenes.
In 2023, law enforcement agencies recovered 4,530 machine gun conversion devices, or auto sears, at crime scenes across the country, according to the latest annual data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, commonly known as the ATF.
The number of these devices recovered and traced by the bureau, a process that involves tracking a firearm or device back to its first point of sale or distribution, rose from 658 in 2019 to 5,816 in 2023 — a 784% increase.
Federal Restrictions and State-Level Bans: A Complex Issue
Machine guns and conversion devices have been heavily restricted under federal law since 1934. While civilians can legally own machine guns made before 1986, those firearms must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Newer machine guns and conversion devices are generally illegal.
There are exceptions for licensed dealers and manufacturers producing them for military or law enforcement use.
Possession of an unregistered device carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.
Gun Rights Groups and State-Level Bans
Some gun rights groups argue that state-level auto sear bans are unnecessary because the devices are already illegal under federal law.
“The overwhelming majority of gun owners are law-abiding citizens and are not just going to illegally produce or purchase auto sears,” Chris Stone, the director of state affairs for Gun Owners of America, told Stateline.
State-Level Bans and Public Safety
Alabama’s ban on auto sears comes in the wake of a mass shooting in Birmingham last September in which the devices were used.
The shooting left four people dead and 17 others injured.
“This wasn’t about infringing on people’s gun rights. This was about making our community safer for everyone,” Democratic state Rep.
