Massachusetts law enforcement agencies seeing uptick in ‘Glock switch’ recoveries

BOSTON — Concerns are growing across Massachusetts about a tiny device that transforms a handgun into a mini machine gun.

Local, state and federal authorities told Boston 25 News that they’re seeing an uptick in incidents involving “Glock switches” in the Bay State.

The devices, which are not manufactured by Glock, make some guns capable of firing as many as 30 rounds in just a few seconds.

James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge with the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, said dangerous criminals are ordering them online.

He said they’re also making “Glock switches” themselves using 3D printers, which are not regulated.

“A 3D printer that’s capable of producing a Glock switch can be purchased for under $300 dollars,” explained Ferguson. “It’s clearly an uphill battle, and the ATF can’t do it alone.”

Ferguson said there currently isn’t an accurate tracking system that conveys exactly how many Glock switches have been recently recovered.

According to Ferguson, that is partly because of how non-descript these devices are.

“Because they are discreet, they aren’t necessarily easily known until they’re test fired,” he said. “The switches ultimately change the rate of fire from what would be single trigger pulls up into a rate between 1100 to 1200 rounds per minute.”

Boston 25 News obtained court documents that illustrate ongoing efforts by law enforcement in Massachusetts to get these deadly devices off the streets.

Some of the locations where those efforts have been focused on include Lynn, Chelsea, Cambridge, Everett, Malden and Somerville.

A federal affidavit says those communities saw a total of over 650 separate shootings with over 1,900 rounds fired in densely populated urban communities from 2019 to the early months of 2021.

“In our Boston metro area, there’s definitely a significant increase,” said Ferguson. “It is increasing at a rate that is alarming.”

Those who are prosecuted for possessing “Glock switches” face an added ten years to their prison sentence.

One recent example of that is convicted drug trafficker and North Shore native Vincent Caruso.

Caruso, 27, aka “Fatz,” of Lynn, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to more than 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release last summer.

“Vincent Caruso was a prolific and violent drug trafficker who flooded North Shore communities with hundreds of thousands of deadly counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl,” stated a June 2022 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “Caruso and his associates orchestrated numerous shootings and armed robberies using an arsenal of firearms — including machine guns.”

Prosecutors linked Caruso to a recent machine gun shooting that occurred on Arlington Street in Lynn where several people and homes were hit by bullets.

There have also been a number of other recent documented incidents of “Glock switches” putting people in increased danger in Massachusetts communities.

“You have 20 plus rounds being fired in a split second and into a crowd. This rapid fire is scary,” said Deputy Superintendent Steven Magalhaes with Cambridge Police.

Cambridge Police investigated a case involving a “Glock switch” in 2020 where more than 20 rounds were sprayed into a crowd.

“Thankfully, in our incident, no one got hurt or killed,” said Deputy Superintendent Magalhaes. “It’s definitely a concern.”

Cambridge Police are now proactively working to identify any potential threats before they escalate to that point.

Some of the tools they’ve been using include social media, door knocking in the community and constant communication with other departments and law enforcement agencies.

“We try to go out there and identify individuals who potentially could possess firearms,” he added.

The Boston Police Department said it has four documented cases of guns recovered with “Glock switches” last year and none so far this year.

90 miles west — the much smaller Springfield Police Department — said it seized 24 Glock switches in 2022 and four since the start of 2023.

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