Why ATF is partnering with librarians to keep machine guns off the streets

The U.S. Department of Justice has established a task force to stop the proliferation of machine guns amid a rapid increase in illegal conversion devices.

While fully automatic weapons have been banned for decades, with some exceptions, criminals have found ways to use 3D printers to create Lego-sized devices commonly referred to as “Glock keys” or auto triggers. If one of these devices is attached to a semi-automatic pistol or rifle, the weapon can fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.

According to a recent report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), seizures of devices that can be converted into machine guns have increased by 570%.

Between 2017 and 2021, ATF seized 5,454 machine gun conversion devices, a 570% increase over the devices seized in the previous five years.

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Mass Shootings and Deaths

The advent of so many converted, fully automatic weapons has resulted in bloodshed and family distress.

In Detroit, a home security camera could hear rapid-fire swooping or gunshots as people dispersed from a neighborhood party in July. By the time the party was over, 21 people had been shot. Two people were dead.

“I saw them being taken down. It was just crazy,” said neighbor Dondre Knight. A reporter told WXYZ-TV after the attack:

In Cincinnati, 11 year old Dominic Davis He was killed last November when someone in a dark sedan fired 22 shots into a crowd.

“Is this ever going to end?” Dominic’s father, Issac Davis, said at a news conference about the shooting. “How many people are going to have to bury their children, their babies, their loved ones?”

At least two other police officers, Brackenridge, Pennsylvania Police Chief Justin McIntire and Houston Police Officer William “Bill” Jeffrey, were also killed in the shooting with converted weapons.

A suspect in a hit-and-run incident in Arizona with a converted, fully automatic weapon Glendale police officer shot Last year, investigators determined the man fired 12 shots before the officer returned fire, killing him.

“It’s scary,” Phoenix ATF Special Agent Brendan Iber told ABC15. He said an illegally converted Glock pistol can fire up to 30 rounds in 2.3 seconds.

“You have no control over where this goes, and so it’s more of a spray,” he said. “The general public is caught up in it, wherever it is.”

Iber said removing the devices, which can be converted into machine guns, from the streets is AFT’s top priority.

“Those devices, by themselves, those little pieces of plastic or metal that you have, are considered a machine gun, so basic possession of them that is not related to a firearm is illegal,” Iber said. The crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The ATF is training local police departments to detect these devices, which can go unnoticed because they are so small and often black.

“Glock switches” are not manufactured by Glock, but are specifically designed to fit Glock pistols, like a button on the rear of the slide.

The automatic trigger system fits inside the rifle’s body, so it is difficult to distinguish it from an unmodified firearm.

3D Printing Machine Guns

Federal agents are now finding that criminals are producing large quantities of keys and shutters from homes. All it takes is a file downloaded from the Internet and a 3D printer costing a few hundred dollars.

“So as long as you have the filament and CAD drawings in the printer, you can print as much as you want,” Iber said, adding that it takes about 30 minutes for a device to 3D print.

According to a federal court indictment filed in July, federal agents allege that a northern Arizona man used a 3-D printer to create 1,000 machine gun conversion devices over a 14-month period. He was one of 10 people listed in the indictment for conspiracy to possess machine guns. In another court filing, prosecutors said all of the defendants were members of a motorcycle club.

ATF agents are also concerned that criminals are going undetected when they create keys and automated dials for free on public 3D printers, especially in public libraries. Several libraries in the Valley have “maker spaces” where library cardholders can access the printers directly.

ABC15 Investigator Melissa Blasius went to the Chandler Main Library to see the process firsthand. She got a library card to access the Makery, watched instructional videos and signed a waiver stating she would not create a dangerous weapon. She made a 3.5-hour appointment through the library’s website. When she arrived, like other patrons, she was briefly greeted by a librarian and directed to a room with a 3D printer. No one asked what was being printed, checked the files being used or entered the room while the printing was in progress.

ABC15 didn’t actually print a machine gun conversion device because that would have been illegal. Instead, Blasius printed a gun-shaped toy that shoots rubber bands.

Agent Iber says the ATF has begun training librarians and other managers of public 3D printers as crime-fighting partners. The first training in the Valley occurred four days after ABC15’s 3D library printing test.

“We need the news media to publicize this and raise awareness,” Iber said.

He hopes librarians and others can learn what “Glock keys” and automatic triggers look like, and know who to call if they encounter something suspicious.

“This way, librarians and school administrators or wherever these three presses are located can see what’s being printed,” Iber said. “Maybe when they see these things being produced, they can get information to pass on to state, local and federal law enforcement.”

The training for librarians is part of a broader effort to find ways to stop people from illegally creating machine gun converters with 3D printers, which the U.S. Justice Department announced in early September.

“We need to collaborate with software developers, technology experts, and 3D printing industry leaders to identify solutions to this challenge,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Monaco.

“We cannot allow the misuse of this amazing technology to undermine the work of everyone who has worked so hard to develop it,” said ATF Director Steve Dettelbach.

Libraries Respond

ABC15 reached out to a Chandler Public Library spokesperson for information about safety precautions after completing the 3-D rubber band gun project.

“We don’t want resources to be misused” or “used in a way that could harm people,” Chandler Communications Director Matthew Burdick said.

According to the city of Chandler, the library administration is reviewing its procedures regarding 3D printing and weapons regulations and will make changes recommended by the Chandler Police Department to ensure full compliance with local, state and federal laws.

Burdick added that the Chandler Police Department plans to contact the ATF liaison officer regarding the matter.

The Mesa Public Library also has 3D printers for patrons to use for hands-on use.

“We are aware of the proliferation of machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) and the use of 3D printers to manufacture them,” said Mesa Communications Director Ana Pereira. “We are communicating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on this issue and are coordinating additional training for library staff.”

Pereira added that the priority is to provide a safe space for creators to “tinker, learn, and collaborate,” and that they are taking every precaution they can.

Two other Vally cities, Phoenix and Glendale, have 3D printers at their libraries for patrons, but those patrons don’t have direct access. People must send their 3D files to the library and pick up the finished product.

“Our policy has been in place since we began offering 3D printing services in 2017,” said Dawn Ferro, Glendale’s interim head librarian. “It’s designed to extend the life of the machines by ensuring only trained personnel operate them, and also to minimize material waste.”

In Phoenix, “Our practice of ensuring only library staff are authorized to operate our 3D printers allows us to manage a limited resource, protect delicate and complex equipment, and maintain access to a high-demand service efficiently and affordably,” says Lee Franklin, director of community relations at the Phoenix Public Library.

Staff at the Glendale and Phoenix libraries said they had not encountered anyone trying to print illegal or inappropriate materials.

You can reach ABC15 Senior Investigator Melissa Blasius via email: [email protected] or call 602-803-2506. Follow him on @X (formerly Twitter)Melisa Blasius or Facebook.