States Take Aim at Glock: Legal Dispute Erupts

Minnesota and New Jersey have filed lawsuits against Glock, targeting the company’s popular 9mm pistol for its alleged ease of conversion into an illegal machine gun.

At a Glance

Attorneys general from Minnesota and New Jersey are suing Glock over the convertibility of their pistols.
The lawsuits claim Glock’s 9mm semiautomatic pistols can be easily modified to fire automatically.
Illegal “switches” can turn these pistols into machine guns capable of firing up to 1,200 rounds per minute.
Glock is accused of knowing about this issue since the 1980s without taking action.
The legal action aims to hold firearm manufacturers accountable for gun violence.

States Take Legal Action Against Glock

In a bold move against gun violence, Minnesota and New Jersey have launched lawsuits targeting Glock, one of America’s leading handgun manufacturers. The core of their complaint centers on the 9mm semiautomatic pistol, which they allege can be easily converted into an illegal machine gun using inexpensive devices known as “switches” or “auto sears.” These modifications allow the weapons to fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute, posing a severe threat to public safety and law enforcement.

The lawsuits claim that Glock has been aware of this vulnerability since the 1980s but has failed to take corrective action. Instead, the company is accused of continuing to market its pistols as customizable, potentially facilitating these illegal modifications. The legal action seeks to compel Glock to redesign its handguns and prevent the distribution of easily modifiable firearms.

Rising Gun Violence and Seizures

The urgency of this legal action is underscored by alarming statistics. New Jersey has seen a 104% increase in Glock-related handgun crime from 2020 to 2023. Nationwide, there has been a staggering 570% rise in the seizure of machine gun conversion parts between 2017 and 2021. These numbers paint a troubling picture of the escalating threat posed by modified firearms.

“With this lawsuit, we are putting the homemade machine gun industry out of business. For decades, Glock has knowingly sold weapons that anyone with a screwdriver and a YouTube video can convert into a military-grade machine gun in a matter of minutes.” – Matt Platkin

The attorneys general argue that Glock’s actions violate state laws and endanger communities. They’re leveraging state civil liability and consumer protection laws in their pursuit of justice, a strategy reminiscent of successful legal actions against the tobacco and opioid industries.

Industry Response and Legal Challenges

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has criticized these lawsuits as frivolous, pointing out that the switches are illegal and not manufactured by Glock. This highlights the complex legal landscape surrounding gun manufacturer liability, which is generally protected by federal law. However, state laws are now being explored as potential avenues for holding gun makers accountable.

These lawsuits are part of a broader effort by a multistate coalition, including 16 states and Washington D.C., to address gun violence through legal means. The city of Chicago filed a similar lawsuit in March, recovering over 1,100 modified Glock pistols between 2021 and 2023. This coordinated legal approach could mark a significant shift in firearms litigation, potentially opening new avenues for holding gun manufacturers accountable for the societal impacts of their products.