Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) led a letter to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), advocating for updated and explicit guidance on illegal machine gun conversion devices, also known as auto sears, to reduce gun violence and protect communities.

“In January 2022, a gunman shot three Houston police officers with a barrage of automatic gunfire using an auto sear that converted his semiautomatic pistol into an automatic weapon.  These devices, which can allow weapons to fire at a rate of up to 1,200 bullets per minute, make shootings more deadly, make our law enforcement officers’ jobs more dangerous, and increase the risk that innocent bystanders could be injured or killed when such a volume of bullets is unleashed,” the Members wrote. 

“And according to Fred Malinowski, special agent in charge of the Houston Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) office, the amount of guns modified with auto sears seized by law enforcement across the United States has quintupled since 2020, from 300 guns in 2020 to more than 1500 in 2021.  ATF must do more to protect communities across the United States. Often, auto sears come from overseas.  But even more troubling, according to Stephen Galloway, the ATF’s assistant special agent in charge for Los Angeles, law enforcement is recovering devices at crime scenes that are manufactured with a 3D printer at home or in machine shops.

“We urge you to issue updated and explicit guidance on auto sears, put a stop to gun companies pushing the legal limits on these devices, and provide additional resources to help rid communities like ours of these dangerous devices.”

To view the full text of the letter, click here.