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Landscape photo of Indiana's Statehouse, with each government center on opposing sides.

Source: PHOTO: Donnie Burgess

STATEHOUSE — There are devices out there that can turn a semi-automatic handgun into a full-automatic handgun. They are known as “auto sears” and police say that they are easy to get.

“In the past two weeks, in one investigation, our investigators have recovered 40 of these machine-gun conversion devices,” said IMPD deputy chief Chris Bailey to a State Senate committee Tuesday.

“We routinely identify both teenagers and adults producing these devices at home using 3D printers,” he added. “Then selling these same devices to our kids and violent offenders.”

Under current state law, the devices are only illegal if they are attached to a firearm. A pair of bills authored by State Rep. Mitch Gore (D-Indianapolis) and State Sen. Aaron Freeman (R-Indianapolis), would ban the possession of such devices entirely.

On Tuesday, the full Indiana House voted 68-24 to advance Gore’s bill to the State Senate. Meanwhile, Freeman’s bill was voted unanimously out of committee to the full State Senate.

Some gun manufacturers testified against the House bill on Tuesday before it was approved saying that the bill’s purpose is sound, but that some language in the bill could have it extend to other gun accessories.