Chicago has initiated legal action against Glock Inc., alleging the company contributes to the proliferation of illegal automatic firearms in the city. The lawsuit claims Glock sells semi-automatic pistols that are readily convertible into machine guns using a device known as a ‘Glock switch.’
Glock switches are the size of a quarter and are easily purchased illegally online for around $20 or manufactured at home using a 3D printer. According to the city, the Austrian company is the most popular handgun manufacturer in the United States, but it also facilitates the proliferation of illegal machine guns in Chicago.
Now, a lawsuit has been filed in Cook County Circuit Court stating that Chicago law enforcement officials have recovered more than 1,100 Glocks that have been turned into illegal machine guns over the past two years as a result of the conversion of Glocks.
According to the lawsuit, a wide range of crimes have been committed using modified guns, including homicides, assaults, battery crimes, kidnappings, burglaries, home invasions, carjackings, and attempted robberies.
This legal challenge, the first of its kind under Illinois’s “Firearms Industry Responsibility Act,” aims to halt Glock’s sales in Chicago and seeks compensation. The lawsuit contends that Glock’s inaction in preventing the conversion of semi-automatic to automatic firearms is not only negligent but exacerbates public safety issues in Chicago.
The city claims Glock knows it could fix the problem of its guns being converted into more powerful weapons but refused to do so. The city also claims that Glock knowingly failed to address the conversion issue.
Mayor Brandon Johnson underscored Chicago’s battle against gun violence, criticizing Glock for prioritizing profit over public safety. He stated, “The City of Chicago faces a grave new challenge in our fight against gun violence due to the surge of fully automatic Glocks on our streets.”
A Glock pistol can now be converted into an illegal machine gun with just $20 and a screwdriver in just minutes, Everytown Law executive director Eric Tirschwell said, referring to the Glock switch.
The lawsuit alleges that “Criminals armed with Modified Glocks are emboldened because of their military-grade firepower, and they kill and injure more people, increasing the terror felt by ordinary Chicagoans.”
Despite having one of the strongest gun safety laws in the country, Illinois continues to experience “an unacceptable rate” of gun violence, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. It is the 35th-highest state for gun-related deaths, with an average of 1,622 people dying each year. According to the ATF, there was a 400% increase in illegally modified firearm recoveries between 2020 and 2021.
The Deputy Mayor of Community Safety, Garien Gatewood, emphasized in the press release that gun manufacturers, including Glock, should face accountability for their reckless choice to keep distributing firearms that can be swiftly altered and transformed into military-grade weapons.
Gatewood said Chicagoans will continue to be protected against these weapons and their manufacturers through continued collaboration with our local, state, and federal partners.
The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action notes that it’s already illegal in the U.S. to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic ones, with violations potentially leading to a 10-year prison sentence.
As a result of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, or PLCAA, a 2005 federal law that protects gunmakers from liability, most lawsuits against gunmakers are dismissed.
In a related move, the Mexican government has filed a massive $10 billion lawsuit against Glock, Smith & Wesson, Sturm, Ruger, and other American companies, accusing them of contributing to ongoing drug cartel violence. Despite being filed in 2022, a U.S. Federal Appeals Court revived the lawsuit on January 22, 2024.
