Although it is already illegal at the federal level, Mississippi House members are moving forward with a bill that would ban machine gun modification techniques statewide.
House Bill 903 passed unanimously in the House Judiciary B Committee on Thursday.
If passed, it would ban the possession, sale, and manufacture of firearm modification devices such as Glock switches and autosears, to name a few. Violating the proposed law would be a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $3,000. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
It would also allow district attorneys to prosecute these cases at the state level.
“We intend to follow federal law regarding the criminalization and possession of this type of device that converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon,” said Rep. Jansen Owen, R-Peer River County, who sponsored the bill. to the committee. “We're going to enact federal law on this and arm local prosecutors.”
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The bill also received letters of support from the Mississippi Sheriffs Association, Mississippi Police Chiefs Association, Mississippi Prosecutors Association, and others.
Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade, who supports the bill, told the Clarion Ledger on Monday that officers have recovered 20 to 30 modified firearms since June, including one from last month. He said it was.
“I'm starting to see more and more guns with specially modified Glock switches,” Wade said. “Not only is it dangerous to the citizens we are trying to protect, but it is also dangerous to the law enforcement agencies that we perform our duties on a daily basis.”
A Glock switch is a small device that can be attached to the rear of a Glock's slide to convert a semi-automatic pistol into a machine pistol.
Wade said prosecutors in the state should also be given the opportunity to prosecute cases involving local crimes.
“I just think it's going to bring another tool to our toolbox,” Wade said. “If there are cases that we haven't prosecuted or can't prosecute at the federal level, we'll at least prosecute them at the state level. The key is to get criminals off the streets and very dangerous weapons. is to be removed from the city.”
Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens did not return a call seeking comment Monday afternoon.
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Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at gmcLaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
