Attorneys general in Minnesota and New Jersey filed lawsuits against Glock on Thursday, accusing the firearms manufacturer of enabling handguns to be easily converted into illegal machine guns using an inexpensive device known as a “Glock switch.” The lawsuits allege that these switches, which can cost as little as $20, turn Glock handguns into fully automatic weapons capable of firing up to 1,200 rounds per minute, posing a significant danger to public safety.
The lawsuits assert that Glock has been aware for years that its handgun design is particularly vulnerable to such modifications and has failed to take corrective action. Federal law strictly regulates machine guns, defined as firearms that can discharge more than one shot per trigger pull. Despite this, the lawsuits argue that Glock’s design facilitates illegal modifications.
The legal actions are part of a broader effort by a coalition of 15 Democratic attorneys general and the District of Columbia to hold gun manufacturers accountable for gun-related violence. This new partnership aims to use state civil liability and consumer protection laws to bypass federal protections that typically shield gun manufacturers from lawsuits.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin are seeking to curb the distribution of these easily modified handguns and force Glock to change its product design. The lawsuits demand Glock forfeit profits and pay unspecified restitution. The Minnesota lawsuit also seeks an injunction requiring Glock to redesign its handguns to prevent modification, while New Jersey’s case seeks to stop the sale of modifiable handguns in the state.
The legal action against Glock follows a similar lawsuit filed by the city of Chicago earlier this year. According to that lawsuit, between 2021 and 2023, Chicago police recovered over 1,100 Glock handguns equipped with illegal switches. The lawsuit claims Glock pistols are the most commonly used firearm in crimes within the city.
These lawsuits come amid a shifting legal landscape regarding gun restrictions. In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on bump stocks, devices that allow semiautomatic rifles to mimic fully automatic fire. Additionally, the Court’s 2022 decision expanding Second Amendment rights has spurred ongoing legal challenges to various gun control measures.
The strategy of using state-level laws to hold gun manufacturers accountable gained momentum after the families of victims from the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting secured a $73 million settlement from Remington Arms in 2022. That case successfully argued that the company’s marketing practices violated Connecticut’s consumer protection laws.
Glock has not issued a public response to the lawsuits. As these cases progress, they are likely to influence future debates on the balance between Second Amendment rights and public safety measures aimed at reducing gun violence.
