‘Recipe for disaster’: ATF sees alarming increase in glock switches in S.C.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - A disturbing trend is being seen not only across the country, but also in the Grand Strand and Pee Dee.

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.

An incident report from the North Myrtle Beach Police Department claims officers found a wrecked Camaro in February 2023 on Main Street.

The report claims there was no one inside, but officers found a gun with a glock switch lying on the floorboard.

A month later, officers reportedly stopped a speeding car from out of town and found a stolen gun with a glock switch in the glove box.

North Myrtle Beach Police Officer Patrick Wilkinson said the department quickly made arrests in both cases thanks to eagled-eyed officers.

“That’s how we intercept those types of weapons,” Wilkinson said. “That’s how we intercept the poison that’s getting brought into our cities and our communities and harming those that we care about, is us being able to stop it before it gets here.”

The Florence County Sheriff’s Office also reported that deputies recovered three guns with glock switches in the last year.

Two were seized in what deputies call high-problem areas.

Major Mike Nunn said finding these weapons would not be possible without the agency’s Criminal Enforcement Unit.

He said those investigators keep a close eye on everything from small roads to major interstates and know exactly what to look for.

“These guys do hundreds and hundreds of traffic stops,” Nunn said. “They’re trained to recognize the signs of individuals who may be involved in other criminal activity.”

Dillon police said they also recovered two guns with glock switches in 2023.

They reportedly found one during a traffic stop and another on someone under 18 years old while making a pickup for the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Several other agencies including the Horry County Police Department said they do not track those numbers, but others reported they have not encountered the issue yet.

Mein said South Carolina is already on track to surpass the number of glock switches found during 2023 and it’s going to take everyone’s help to continue taking them off our streets.

“It’s not just a situation we can simply arrest our way out of,” Mein said. “We’ve got to do a lot of other things to get in front of these issues.”

Mein said they’re working with state and local agencies to teach investigators how to spot and identify them.

He said getting caught with a glock switch could result in a prison sentence up to ten years.

The ATF also got a new system last year to help track the number of glock switches found.

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