In the shooting community, the term "giggle switch" refers to the select fire lever that takes a gun from semiautomatic to full auto fire. Shooting full auto makes most grown 12 year old men practically giggle, hence the name. A 1986 amendment to the Gun Control Act banned any further manufacture of full auto weapons not for military use. Therefore, there are a finite number of machine guns and that makes them expensive. A garden variety Uzi will set you back 40k$!!! Even a garbage machine gun, like an M11, will set you back $10-15k. Also, legally obtaining a machine gun requires a lengthy and costly background check. Owning an automatic weapon without the proper tax stamp is a felony and carries a lengthy prison sentence.
Of course, not everyone wants to go through that hassle and some semiautomatic guns are super easy to convert to full auto. The traditional gun for conversion was the AR-15, but it's been eclipsed by Glock pistols, which is even easier to convert.
The part that instantly turns a semi auto into a full auto is an auto sear and the Glock version is becoming way too popular. In fact, getting a Glock auto sear is a piece of cake. If you have a 3D printer, there are plans on the web for you to print them. If you don't, they're made by the thousands in China and shipped here. Because they're small and frequently not identified by customs, they slip through without issue.
The video below shows what an auto sear is and how easy it is to install.
Here's a better picture of one hanging off the back of a Glock pistol.
Full auto Glocks are extremely dangerous in two different ways. First, in close quarters, they concentrate a lot of rounds into a tight space, which has been deadly for law enforcement attempting to gain entry into homes or when attempting to arrest a suspect. The bad guy can literally spray bullets at their target; statistics say one will hit an area not protected by body armor.
The greater danger comes from lack of control. Because a long time friend is a gun dealer in Pennsylvania, I've had the opportunity to shoot a few full auto guns, including an M11, AK47, and M16. On full auto, these guns were impossible to control beyond the first few rounds. Keep in mind the last two were rifles, which can be held by both hands. For that reason, today's battle rifle, the M4 (an M16 variant) has no full auto option; only three round bursts.
Now, imagine the recoil forces in a pistol, where you don't have two hand holds. The dork in the video below provides a perfect illustration - watch the gun jump around in his hands.
The inability to keep the gun on target, while dumping a 50 round mag, dramatically increases the risk of standers by being hit with an errant round. And let's be honest, the individuals who use these guns aren't at the shooting range, honing their skills. They've always been the type to spray rounds, which was already deadly to bystanders with semiauto guns, but with full auto, it's become even more perilous to be nearby when they decide to shoot someone.
My typical entry concludes with my thoughts on a path forward, but I don't see one with these devices. They're cheap, easily obtained or made, deadly, and way too easy to get ahold of.
About the author: Sean R is a recovering conservative who owns a consulting firm specializing in strategic marketing. He's been a competitive shooter since the early 90's and holds a High Master classification in PPC and a Master classification in USPSA. Additionally, he's served as an instructor for gun safety and competition courses. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his overly vocal white dog, Sadie.
Interesting. I've never heard of a "giggle switch" before, and it looks like a clusterfuck. I don't see anything useful coming from that. Cassandra
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