Chicago Files Lawsuit Against Gunmaker Glock Over Conversions to Machine Guns

Chicago is suing gun manufacturer Glock after law enforcement found more than a thousand firearms that had been converted into illegal machine guns over the past two years.

The city claimed that although the Austrian company is the most well-known handgun maker in the country, it is also assisting in the "proliferation of illegal machine guns on the streets of Chicago."

Chicago Sues Gunmaker Glock

The lawsuit, filed with the Cook County Circuit Court, claims that Glock is selling semiautomatic handguns that can be quickly and simply modified into machine guns by utilizing a cheap device called a "Glock switch."

Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement that the City of Chicago is facing a deadly new frontier in the gun violence tormenting their communities because of the increase of fully automatic Glocks on their streets.

Johnson continued that selling firearms that can easily be converted into automatic weapons makes heinous acts even more deadly, so they are doing everything they can in collaboration with others committed to ceasing gun violence to hold Glock responsible for putting profits over public safety.

According to the Chicago Police Department and other authorities, about 1,100 illegal machine guns have been connected to crimes such as aggravated assaults, kidnappings, and homicides.

The suit says that the switches needed for these conversions can be created at home with a 3D printer or purchased for as little as $20.

Eric Tirschwell, executive director of Everytown Law, said anyone in the US with $20 and a screwdriver can convert their Glock pistol into an illegal machine gun in just a few minutes.

He noted that they intend to hold Glock accountable for the unconscionable decision to continue selling its easily modified pistols. Even though it could fix the problem, refusing can aggravate gun violence in Chicago.

Despite having some of the strictest gun control legislation in the country, Everytown for Gun Safety said that Illinois yet sees "an unacceptable rate" of gun violence.

With 1,622 gun-related deaths on average per year, the state ranks 35th among states with the highest number of gun-related fatalities.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) estimated a 400% rise in unlawfully modified firearm seizures between 2020 and 2021.

Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Glock is endangering public safety in Chicago and other cities by refusing to take "reasonable steps" to stop its firearms from being so easily modified.

Deputy Mayor of Community Safety Garien Gatewood stated in the press release that gun manufacturers like Glock must be held accountable for the irresponsible decision to continue selling firearms that can be easily transformed into weapons.

He continued that their administration will continue to work with their local, state, and federal partners to protect Chicagoans from these weapons and the companies that continue to manufacture them.

(Photo: MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images)

Authorities in Alabama Disapprove Glock Switches

On Friday, officials revealed that a federal grand jury had charged 11 people for possessing machine guns or small devices that might turn semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic ones.

Jonathan S. Ross, acting US Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama, announced the arrests at a press conference. Authorities hoped that the prosecutions and the statement would prevent what they described as an increasing threat to law enforcement and public safety.

They said Glock switches, or small machine gun conversion equipment, are widely available.

Ross said that their goal is to get the word out that these devices are illegal, and federal law considers the device itself to be a machine gun, and possession of it is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.