Confederate Yankee On Converting Semi-Autos To Autos: Not Nearly As Easy As The Media's Convinced You, Nitwit

I should have known better than to trust the media on this, which has frequently informed me I could convert most semi-autos to auto by buying a kit from the classified pages of Soldier of Fortune magazine.

Confederate Yankee says it's just not that easy:

As for it being possible to convert a gun from semi-auto to fully-automatic, this is extremely unlikely, verging on impossible in this instance.

The ATF takes great pains to examine every new firearm being manufactured or imported into the United States to make sure that it takes a phenominal amount of work, a great degree of gun-making skill, and a machine shop full of tools to convert a weapon to fire fully automatic. It is not as simple as dropping in different parts.

The lower receivers (in the case of a pistol, the very frame itself) must be drilled, milled, etc, and then parts only available to law enforcement and military purchasers and Class III weapons dealers and manufacturers properly fitted. Even most highly-capable professional gunsmiths cannot do the necessary modifications, and this guy certainly did not go to Glock Armory school, nor would he likely have access to the tools necessary.

The media seems to be hoping for this possibility -- as it allows them to connect this to the lapsed "assault weapons" ban (well, not really, but they'll connect it up anyhow) -- but it appears less likely than they might wish.

posted by Ace at 03:57 PM

| Access Comments