Delaware Sues Glock Over Illegal Switches, Admits Company Doesn’t Make Them
Delaware sues Glock over illegal switches, admits company doesn’t make them. States target firearms conversion risks.
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Delaware has sued Glock, claiming the company failed to take measures to prevent criminals from illegally adding components that enable its guns to fire in fully-automatic mode. However, the state admitted that Glock does not manufacture the illegal switches.
Several states have targeted Glock’s popular semiautomatic pistols, either attempting to ban future sales or suing the company, arguing it is too easy to convert the weapons into fully-automatic firearms. Democratic Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings accused the company of being “neutrals” in efforts to prevent “gun violence,” despite the admission that the company did not create the illicit devices.
“Our communities, and communities across America, are being terrorized by weapons with destructive power never intended or legal for civilian use,” Jennings claimed in a statement. “Glock knew. They could have acted. They chose profit over people.”
Jennings is asking a court to prevent Glock from distributing pistols deemed “easily convertible” in Delaware, while also seeking restitution, damages, and the abatement of the public nuisance.
In the 82-page complaint, Delaware conceded that the devices were not manufactured by Glock and that third parties were responsible for the illegal distribution and production of the so-called “Glock switches,” some of which had the company’s logo on them without authorization.
“While Glock itself does not produce these deadly items, many Glock switches still bear Glock’s logo,” the state admitted. “The popular association of the Glock brand with machine gun functionality runs so deep that many third-party auto sears are even sold with a copied Glock logo printed on them.”
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings is suing gun manufacturer Glock for allowing the handguns it sells to easily be converted into automatic weapons, an unprecedented move for the state. Get the full story: https://t.co/SA4QMM1jZh https://t.co/Jzy2qeezEo
Other states, including Maryland, Minnesota, and New Jersey, have also sued Glock over the devices. Under current federal law, it is illegal to possess or manufacture a fully-automatic firearm that is not registered or authorized under the National Firearms Act. A conviction can lead to up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Research by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) showed that murders with illegally-modified Glocks are less frequent than fatal lightning strikes, with only 40 people dying in attacks using the handguns since the start of 2021, while the National Weather Service confirmed 81 deaths from lightning in the same timeframe.
Glock pistols are among the most popular in the United States, regularly appearing in lists of the most-sold firearms. The company’s Glock 19X sold over 100,000 copies in less than six months after its release, according to a 2018 press release.
In addition to being popular among law-abiding citizens, Glock pistols are also used by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, which has issued versions of the handgun to its agents since 1997. Former Vice President Kamala Harris has also boasted about owning a Glock for personal protection.
Source: Daily Caller
