California Bans New Glock Sales
A semi-automatic Glock pistol is fired at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives National Services Center, March 2, 2023, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
California lawmakers have passed new legislation aimed at pressuring gun manufacturer Glock to redesign its popular handguns to prevent the use of illegal “switch” devices that can convert them into fully automatic weapons.
Supporters of the bill, including its sponsor Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, say the change is long overdue. “They have known about this design flaw for a long time,” Gabriel said, adding that the company could save lives by addressing the issue. California, the nation’s third-largest gun market, has seen several high-profile crimes involving modified Glocks, including a 2022 mass shooting in Sacramento that killed former football player Greg “Najee” Grimes. His mother, now active with Moms Demand Action, has become an advocate for stronger firearm safety measures and supports the new law.
Gun store owners and critics, however, argue the measure will do little to reduce crime. Eddie Ford, a California gun shop owner, noted that Glock pistols are valued for their reliability and customization options. He explained that while newer models include parts designed to block conversion switches, those models aren’t currently approved for sale in California—and the modification can be easily undone. “If criminals want them, they’re going to get them,” Ford said, pointing out that millions of Glocks are already in circulation nationwide.
Republican lawmakers unanimously opposed the measure, calling it an unnecessary restriction on a widely used firearm that unfairly targets law-abiding gun owners.
Glock has not issued a public statement on the legislation. If the company decides to redesign its handguns to comply with California’s requirements, the firearms would face a lengthy state certification process before they could return to the market.
The National Rifle Association has already filed a lawsuit challenging the new law, arguing that it’s redundant since converting semi-automatic weapons into automatic ones is already illegal under both state and federal law. “We won’t sit idly by while Gun-Grabbing Gavin attempts to run roughshod over your rights,” the NRA wrote in a statement on X.
President Trump has not yet commented on the California measure, though his administration has consistently supported Second Amendment protections and opposed new gun restrictions seen as overreach by state governments.
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