Communities around the U.S. have seen shootings carried out with weapons converted to fully automatic in recent years, fueled by a staggering increase in small pieces of metal or plastic made with a 3D printer or ordered online. Laws against machine guns date back to the bloody violence of Prohibition-era gangsters. But the proliferation of devices known by nicknames such as Glock switches, auto sears and chips has allowed people to transform legal semi-automatic weapons into even more dangerous guns, helping fuel gun violence, police and federal authorities said.

The (ATF) reported a 570% increase in the number of conversion devices collected by police departments between 2017 and 2021, the most recent data available.

The devices that can convert legal semi-automatic weapons can be made on a 3D printer in about 35 minutes or ordered from overseas online for less than $30. They’re also quick to install.

“It takes two or three seconds to put in some of these devices into a firearm to make that firearm into a machine gun instantly,” Dettelbach said.

  • cristo@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Yeah but the violence we do see in europe is typically widely spread knife crime and chemical attacks on people. The most complicated and unique terrorist attacks I have ever seen happen on European soil.

    • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      I’ll take knife crime any day of the week over gun violence.

      Can’t kill 60 and wound more than 400 from a hotel room window with a knife.

          • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            8 months ago

            'Course, the last time a dude threatened to stab me by pulling a knife on me, I threatened to shoot him by pulling out a gun on him in return, and he decided the best outcome for all would be to walk away.

            He was right, I didn’t get stabbed, he didn’t get shot, and I was able to walk into the hell that was “pandemic Walmart” unscathed, as a direct result of me being armed.

            • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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              8 months ago

              So, what you’re saying is that Europe should just get a lot of guns to get rid of people threatening knife violence?

              Dude, there’s a reason why the US has lots of gun violence. It’s because of the easy access to guns.

              No guns = no gun violence.

                • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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                  8 months ago

                  That’s just not how it works, because knifes are not specifically designed to kill people. Guns are. Some guns are even designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

                  • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                    8 months ago

                    Some knives are for sure designed to kill people. You cutting potatoes with a karambit or balisong? Then there’s arrows, or as I like to call them (as of this moment) shooty knives.

                    Furthermore, guns are technically designed “to fire a projectile” as knives are technically designed “to cut or pierce.” The issue comes up with what is being fired or cut upon, which could be legal or murder in either case.

                    Furtherfurthermore, yes, guns do happen to be good at killing people, and sometimes that does need to happen as unfortunate as that is. We call that “self defense.” Just so happens guns are the best tool for that job. Could I use a coin to screw in a flathead? Sure, but a screwdriver was designed to screw screws and as such is the tool I would prefer to use if I have to screw a screw.

      • cristo@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Mostly talking about the regular acid attacks that happen mostly to women and children

        • SkippingRelax@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          I’m confused, I’m from Europe but live in Australia. I read about a mass shooting in the states pretty much every week. Often children as schools seem to be a prime target.

          Can’t remember last time I heard of an acid attack in Europe. Got some source for this being a regular thing and an actual problem even remotely comparable to guns in the US?