Chi Town Is Sueing glock over the “switchy for the glikky”
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AP Writes The city of Chicago sued Glock Inc. on Tuesday, alleging the handgun manufacturer is facilitating the proliferation of illegal machine guns that can fire as many as 1,200 rounds per minute on the streets of the city.
The lawsuit alleges Glock unreasonably endangers Chicagoans by manufacturing and selling semiautomatic pistols that can easily be converted to illegal machine guns with an auto sear — a cheap, small device commonly known as a “Glock switch.” The switches are the size of a quarter and are easily purchased illegally online for around $20 or manufactured at home using a 3D printer.
The complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court is the first to use Illinois’s new Firearms Industry Responsibility Act, passed and signed into law in 2023 to hold gun companies accountable for conduct that endangers the public.
“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,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a news release.
“Selling firearms that can so easily be converted into automatic weapons makes heinous acts even more deadly, so we are doing everything we can in collaboration with others committed to ending gun violence to hold Glock accountable for putting profits over public safety,” Johnson said.
https://everytownlaw.org/documents/2024/03/3052.pdf/
2. Glocks affixed with auto sears (“Modified Glocks”) can fire fully automatically: up
to 1,200 rounds per minute, a rate as fast or faster than many fully automatic firearms used by theU.S. military. Over the past two years, from the beginning of 2021 through December 31, 2023,
over 1,100 Modified Glocks have been recovered by the Chicago Police Department (“CPD”).
These terrifying weapons have caused death and destruction throughout Chicago: they have been
recovered in connection with homicides, aggravated assaults, batteries, kidnappings, burglaries,
home invasions, carjackings, and attempted robberies.3. Glock pistols are the most popular firearm in America. They are also the firearm
most favored by criminals, particularly in Chicago. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), over 8,000 Glock pistols were recovered in connection with
criminal investigations in Chicago from 2017 to 2021—thousands more than the next most popular
crime gun. Glock’s popularity within the criminal market is owed in part to the ease with which
Glock pistols can be converted into machine guns.4. Due to the susceptibility of Glock pistols to modification and Glock’s refusal to
correct the problem, anyone with $20–$25 to spare and a desire to circumvent long-standing
federal and state prohibitions on possessing fully automatic machine guns can do so by buying an
auto sear and affixing it to a Glock pistol. The task can be accomplished with a common household
tool, like a screwdriver, and it typically takes less than five minutes with instructions readily
available online.5. Glock has known about this dangerous work-around for years. So prevalent is the
practice of installing auto sears on Glock pistols that they are commonly known as “Glock
switches”—“switches” because they allow shooters to toggle between semiautomatic and fully
automatic firing modes. Many auto sears are even sold with the Glock logo printed on them, even
though Glock does not manufacture them.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Glock switches are illegal in the United States because they are considered machine guns. The ATF classifies machine guns as such under federal law, and civilians cannot possess machine guns made after 1986.
For those who wish to legally own a Glock switch, there are a few steps that must be taken.
To legally own a Glock switch, gun owners must go through the proper paperwork and background checks.
This includes obtaining the necessary licenses or permits required to purchase a Glock switch, as well as ensuring that the gun owner meets the age and other legal requirements for purchasing a handgun in their state.
It is also important to keep up with local laws and regulations, as they can vary from state to state.
It is also important to note that possessing an illegal Glock switch can result in serious consequences, including a $250,000 fine and up to 10 years in prison.
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