When a suspect killed Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire in January 2023, authorities said he used a converted pistol that could spray bullets at a rate of dozens per second.
That didn’t stop the state House from voting down a bill in May 2024 to ban similar conversion devices that increase a weapon’s firepower: bump stocks for rifles and binary triggers. But the slain chief’s family and an anti-gun violence advocacy group are now putting pressure on the Pennsylvania legislature to take up a bill that specifically targets the pistol converter.
“This is about protecting the public, and this is about protecting police and first responders,” said Adam Garber, executive director of CeaseFire Pa.
On Monday the group released the latest video in its “Deadly By Design” education campaign, featuring McIntire’s family. In a video launching the event, McIntire’s brother Brandon says, “I hunt. I shoot deer, I have guns. But I don’t believe anybody should have a fully-automatic switch on a Glock on these streets. What do you need it for? That’s not meant for protection.”
The video adds that park goers scrambled during a shooting at West Mifflin’s Kennywood also appeared to involve a weapon converted to fully automatic fire. And the campaign notes that states such as Indiana, Louisiana and Mississippi have passed bans on the devices, which are technically referred to as an auto sear but commonly known as a “Glock switch.”
Pennsylvania, though, has so far resisted gun converter bans, after Republican House members and one Democrat – Johnstown state Rep. Frank Burns – killed the bump stock ban last year. With Democrats holding a one-seat majority in the House, Burns’ move to cross party lines was enough to stop the bill.
Those opposed to a state ban offer a familiar argument: that criminals can and will simply ignore laws that would restrict access to firepower.
Gun Owners of America state director Val Finnell says no law can stop criminals from making conversion devices of their own.
“What are we going to do, outlaw 3D printers? It's living proof that gun laws only apply to law-abiding citizens and not criminals,” said Finnell, a McKees Rocks native.
Finnell also notes that a federal ban on Glock switches is already on the books – and that the measure has proven “completely ineffective.”
But supporters of state action, including gun-safety groups and some prosecutors, say federal charges aren’t always brought against suspects.
“Even though they're banned federally, they're not always being charged federally,” said Kelly Callihan, who leads the state District Attorneys Association.
District attorneys in Pennsylvania can charge suspects with a related misdemeanor gun charge, Callihan said, but “We don't think that's adequate.” Meanwhile, she observed, federal prosecutors may only prioritize some crimes when they’re part of a larger investigation. “So having something in our state toolbox to address these would be an added benefit.”
Garber, of CeaseFire, says that in any case, the administration of incoming President Donald Trump could roll back President Joe Biden's executive orders on gun control.
“We may really need [the law], and so let's get it in place now before we have mass proliferation of these devices that cause violence and carnage,” Garber said.
