Two US states sue Glock over machine gun conversion [View all]

Source: Reuters

December 12, 2024 5:15 PM EST Updated 10 hours ago


Dec 12 (Reuters) - Attorneys general in Minnesota and New Jersey sued Glock on Thursday, accusing the company of making handguns that are easily modified to fire as illegal machine guns through a cheap add-on known as a “Glock switch.”

The lawsuits said the $20 switches transform Glock handguns, which the complaints said were the most popular brand, into easily concealable weapons that can fire 1,200 rounds per minute, recklessly endangering the public. The gun maker has known since at least 1998 that its weapons are uniquely receptive to the switches and has not taken steps to change its design, according to the lawsuits.

"We sued Glock because they have knowingly sold products into our state for decades that can be easily converted into machine guns, which are illegal under state and federal law, and which are killing our residents, killing cops and killing our kids," New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin told Reuters. Glock did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company's U.S. business is based in Smyrna, Georgia, and is owned by Glock's Austrian parent company.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a firearm trade group, called the lawsuits frivolous and an abuse of the courts to advance unconstitutional gun controls. The group noted the switches are illegal and are not made by Glock. Many such switches are made in China, available online, or can be created using a 3D printer, according to the lawsuits, which said they are nearly impossible to eradicate.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/two-us-states-sue-glock-over-machine-gun-conversion-2024-12-12/