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.
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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.
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