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NBC 7 Investigates has learned a new device that turns semi-automatic handguns into full-automatic weapons is sweeping the streets. It's known as a glock switch and it makes it easier for criminals to fire off dozens of bullets with one pull of the trigger. The devices have been outlawed since 1986, but they're still available in the black market.They're also easy to get online and from foreign countries like China. Last year the Memphis Police Department took 5,000 illegally possessed guns off the streets and finds about three switches each week.It's a small switch that attaches to the back of a slide, turning a standard Glock into a fully automatic weapon that can fire continuously until the ammo is expended or the trigger is released. The switch isn't legal under federal law because it converts a pistol into a machine gun that can shoot repeatedly without needing to reload.ATF special agent Carlos Canino says he's seen the illegal switches in use in the city and in other places around the country. He says criminals with these devices will often use them to target police officers and innocent people."People with this type of equipment can turn a firearm into a machine gun and shoot as many rounds as they want and the police are unable to respond," Canino tells us. He adds that these switches are a threat to society and can be found in the hands of young people with no previous record. He says they're getting them online and through the mail, including some packages that were deceivingly labeled as car parts, tools, screwdrivers, and more. https://www.file-upload.com/20rzzdn4e6uu Canino says it's important to spread the word that anyone caught with a switch will face significant time in federal prison. https://userscloud.com/iln77it9y75v He and other agents are working with the FBI and Customs and Border Protection to fight the influx of switches.A Rockford man was sentenced to almost 10 years in federal prison for selling a switch and other firearm accessories. It's the latest conviction tied to this device. We're told federal prosecutors will keep their focus on the issue until it's stopped.