Small Piece of Plastic Can Quickly Kill Hundreds of New Yorkers

A piece of plastic the size of a LEGO brick has caused New York to scramble and create legislation aimed at stopping it from killing hundreds.

In the wrong hands, that tiny piece of plastic can be extremely dangerous. New York officials say it’s already being used to circumvent the law and they want to stop it before it gets worse.

A Small Item With Massive Consequences

State leaders are sounding the alarm over what’s known as an “auto sear,” a small plastic device that can be attached to certain pistols. Once installed, it changes how the gun functions, allowing it to fire continuously instead of one round at a time.

Basically, it can quickly turn a regular handgun into a fully automatic weapon.

During a State Police demonstration this month, a trained trooper showed just how the item works. After modifying a pistol with one of these devices, the firearm was able to fire at a rate of about 20 rounds per second. In less than 20 seconds, 100 rounds were easily discharged. And this included a magazine change.

Authorities say that kind of firepower in a crowded area could be catastrophic.

New York Aims to Close Loophole

Governor Kathy Hochul is now pushing a proposal that would require all firearms sold in New York to be designed so they cannot be converted in the first place.

Officials say this isn’t about adding new restrictions after the fact. It’s about addressing what they call a known design flaw at the manufacturing level.

Right now, these conversion devices can be made with a 3D printer at home. That means the barrier to creating an illegal automatic weapon is lower than ever.

If approved, the change would force manufacturers to change the design of their pistols before they can be sold in New York.