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Chicago sues Glock, blames gunmaker for pistols turned into ‘machine guns’

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The city of Chicago has filed a lawsuit against Glock Inc., charging the firearm manufacturer with contributing to the proliferation of illegal machine guns in the city. The suit claims Glock sells semiautomatic pistols that can be readily converted into automatic weapons using a device known as a “Glock switch.”

These conversion devices are easily obtained online or through 3D printing. According to the lawsuit, more than 1,100 modified Glock-involved crimes have taken place within the last two years.

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The lawsuit, which leverages Illinois’ Firearms Industry Responsibility Act, aims to halt the sale of Glock firearms in Chicago and seeks damages, pointing to the company’s knowledge of the conversion issue and its inaction.

Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke out against the company, emphasizing Chicago’s battle against gun violence and accusing Glock of valuing profits over public safety.

“The city of Chicago is encountering a deadly new frontier in the gun violence plaguing our communities because of the increase of fully automatic Glocks on our streets,” Johnson said.

Boston, MA - September 28: A machine gun conversion device for a Glock hand gun was in custody of the ATF Boston Bureau. The device can convert the Glock into a machine gun after the "switch" is installed. It can be made with a 3-d printer. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
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The lawsuit criticizes Glock for not taking measures to prevent the conversion of semiautomatic guns to automatic, labeling such inaction as negligent and detrimental to public safety.

“Right now, anyone in the United States with $20 and a screwdriver can convert their Glock pistol into an illegal machine gun in just a few minutes,” said Eric Tirschwell, executive director of Everytown Law. “We intend to hold Glock accountable for the unconscionable decision to continue selling its easily modified pistols even though it could fix the problem, knowing that by refusing to do so it is exacerbating gun violence in Chicago.” 

In related international legal actions, Mexico has recently sued Glock and other U.S. gun makers for their alleged role in arming drug cartels, contributing to violence.

The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action has emphasized that devices designed to convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic ones, including “auto switches” or “Glock switches,” are illegal throughout the U.S. The penalty for contravening this law can lead to a decade-long prison term.

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[LAUREN TAYLOR]

CHICAGO HAS SUED GLOCK INCORPORATED, ACCUSING THE MANUFACTURER OF FUELING THE RISE OF ILLEGAL MACHINE GUNS IN THE CITY BY SELLING SEMIAUTOMATIC PISTOLS THAT CAN BE EASILY CONVERTED WITH A ‘GLOCK SWITCH.’

THESE DEVICES ARE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE ONLINE OR VIA 3D PRINTING AND HAVE RESULTED IN OVER 1100 MODIFIED GLOCKS LINKED TO CRIMES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.

THE LAWSUIT — A FIRST UNDER ILLINOIS’S “FIREARMS INDUSTRY RESPONSIBILITY ACT” –SEEKS TO STOP GLOCK’S SALES IN CHICAGO AND DEMANDS DAMAGES — CITING THE COMPANY’S AWARENESS OF THE ISSUE AND ITS REFUSAL TO ADDRESS THE CONVERSION PROBLEM.

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON HIGHLIGHTED THE CITY’S EFFORTS TO TACKLE GUN VIOLENCE — AND CRITICIZED GLOCK FOR PUTTING PROFITS BEFORE PUBLIC SAFETY, SAYING,

“THE CITY OF CHICAGO IS ENCOUNTERING A DEADLY NEW FRONTIER IN THE GUN VIOLENCE PLAGUING OUR COMMUNITIES BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE OF FULLY AUTOMATIC GLOCKS ON OUR STREETS.”

THE LAWSUIT ALSO ALLEGES GLOCK’S FAILURE TO TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT SEMIAUTOMATIC CONVERSIONS IS NOT ONLY NEGLIGENT AND UNFAIR —

BUT ALSO ADDS TO THE CITY’S PUBLIC SAFETY PROBLEMS.

MEXICO RECENTLY TOOK GLOCK AND SEVERAL OTHER AMERICAN GUN MANUFACTURERS TO COURT — ACCUSING THEM OF SUPPLYING WEAPONS THAT INCREASED VIOLENCE BY DRUG CARTELS.

ACCORDING TO THE NRA’S INSTITUTE FOR LEGISLATIVE ACTION, DEVICES INTENDED TO CONVERT SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIREARMS INTO FULLY AUTOMATIC ONES, ARE ALREADY ILLEGAL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. VIOLATING THIS LAW CAN RESULT IN A 10 YEAR PRISON SENTENCE.