It all started with Chicago suing Glock. In the lawsuit, Chicago is claiming that ‘Glock Perfection’ is less than perfect. According to Chicago, the design is flawed, because it makes it too easy to convert a Glock from semi-automatic to full auto.
Piling on, Attorneys General from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Washington D.C. sent a letter Glock voicing their concerns over what is commonly called a ‘Glock switch.’ A Glock switch is an auto sear. The difference in the sear’s design, allowing fully automatic fire, transforms the pistol from semi-automatic fire to full auto.
The Glock switches are often found on websites selling items manufactured in China. Buying the device from one of these sites, however, is not without its perils. Like ‘oil filters’ that are easily adapted to makeshift suppressors, the purchase of a Glock switch could lead to a nasty knock on your door from the ATF — something no gun owner wants, especially someone possessing illegal parts.
Does the lawsuit have a chance?
There may be some history on the side of the Attorneys General and Chicago. Introduced in 1984, the Intratec TEC-9 was constructed using inexpensive molded polymers and a mixture of stamped and milled steel parts. The simple design of the gun made it easy to repair — or modify. The TEC-9 was a commercial success, with over 250,000 sold.
Eventually, the gun was banned, and Intratec was forced to redesign open-bolt design to a closed-bolt system. The gun was later rereleased as the Intratec KG-99. The new design made it impossible for the KG-99 to be converted the way the TEC-9s were.
However, there are a lot more Glock pistols on the streets than 250,000…
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) made the following statements.
In the lawsuit, Chicago calls out China as a primary perpetrator responsible for the flood “auto sears” being found on the streets of America. This begs the question, with tensions high between the U.S. and China, is China simply being greedy, or is there something more nefarious in its intentions? After all, many politicians and political pundits have called China out for producing and selling the chemicals drug cartels are using to produce the fentanyl responsible for an ever-increasing number of American deaths.
In the letter, the 13 Democrat Attorneys General are demanding that Glock preserve all documents related to:
- The conversion of Glock semi-automatic handguns into automatic weapons.
- The design and development of Glock pistols with respect to their semi-automatic function.
- Glock’s knowledge regarding all state and federal laws relating to Glock switches and converted Glock machine guns.
- Financial information relating to Glock pistols, including profit.
- Any public-facing marketing or advertising related to Glock pistols.
Will the Chicago lawsuit cause Glock pistols to suffer the same fate as the Intratec TEC-9? What about all the Glock clones? How would the ATF handle that and the millions of guns already on the market? Share your answers in the Comment section.
