Indiana Gov. Holcomb signs bill making machine gun ‘switch’ illegal

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) signed a bill Thursday that will make it illegal to transform a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun.

The bill includes language to further restrict possession of Glock switches, which aid in adapting a semi-automatic weapon into a machine gun and already are prohibited under federal law. Glock switches allow a gun to shoot continuously while a trigger is pressed, increasing the number of bullets that can be fired per second.

Under the new law, House Bill 1365, Indiana police will not have to depend on federal prosecutors to press charges upon a person in possession of a “switch gun,” and any person who illegally retains one will face felony charges under state law.

The bill passed easily through the Indiana House and Senate, even though the state legislature has passed a number of laws easing gun restrictions in recent years, including one that eliminated handgun licensing in the state.

The new law comes in the wake of revived outrage about gun violence across the U.S. after three children and three adult staff members were killed in a shooting at a Nashville school last month.