Point of Impact: With switches proliferating, officers are outgunned
U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives supervisor Ryan Todd talks about illegal "Glock switches" at his East Memphis office June 28. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian file)
The Glock pistol felt more like a machine gun when it fired.
The trigger released a distinct, continuous burst of rapid gunshots, and a spray of shell casings flew out the side. The sound was loud and constant, more reminiscent of a gangster movie than a Western.
Pistols such as this one, modified with gun-switch conversion devices — more often called switches, a relatively new and inexpensive attachment — fire quickly. Their recoil is stronger. And their bullets don’t always follow a shooter’s intended path.
Topics
Subscriber Only Memphis Police Department public safety Point of Impact2025 is almost over. Now is the time to support your trusted local news source.
Will you help us reach more Memphians with quality, in-depth local news? Make a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian, a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization, today.
Thank you for keeping up with what’s happening in Memphis. Thank you for investing in our community’s trusted local news source.
Julia Baker
A lifelong Memphian, Julia Baker graduated from the University of Memphis in 2021. Other publications and organizations she has written for include Chalkbeat, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent magazine and Memphis magazine.
Public Safety on demand
Sign up to receive Public Safety stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.