Minnesota, New Jersey Both File Lawsuits Suing Glock For Illegal Switch Modifications

Last updated on December 12th, 2024 at 01:18 pm

The attorneys general of New Jersey and Minnesota each filed separate lawsuits against Austrian gun-maker Glock on Dec. 12, arguing their products are too easily converted into automatic weapons.

Democrat New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, and Democrat Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, each filed their separate lawsuits on Thursday in a pair of coordinated public announcements

Both complaints focus on so-called “Glock switches,” which are devices not produced by Glock but which individual Glock owners can assemble at home and attach to their Glock firearms. In an unmodified Glock, a trigger bar is in place that catches the firing pin after each round is fired. A switch instead holds down the trigger bar, preventing anything from catching the firing pin, and allowing the firing mechanism to run automatically.

Federal law already bans ownership of unlicensed parts that enable semi-automatic weapons to fire automatically, as the switch does.

Another federal law, known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) broadly protects gunmakers and retailers from liability when their products are criminally misused or if  defective products injure users. Some states, including New Jersey and Minnesota, have begun implementing their own laws to establish liability claims against gunmakers, but these efforts face legal challenges in federal courts.

Platkin and Ellison filed their complaints in the New Jersey and Minnesota state court systems respectively.

“For decades, Glock has knowingly sold weapons that anyone with a screwdriver and a YouTube video can convert into a military-grade machine gun in a matter of minutes,” Platkin said as he filed his complaint. “Glock’s ownership sits in Austria lining their pockets with profits paid for by American bloodshed fueled by their products — and we are sick of it.”

Ellison said, ““Glock’s actions, and their inaction, violate Minnesota law, and put kids, communities, and law enforcement in danger. This has to stop.”

Each attorney general thanked the other for their respective action to hold Glock liable for how individuals are illegally modifying their products.

Other state attorneys general may join in. Platkin and Ellison were among 13 state attorneys general who sent a letter to Glock in March, calling on them to preserve their records in anticipation of coming legal action.

Attorney and gun rights advocate Kostas Moros criticized the attorneys general for suing Glock for how others illegally modify their products.

What a ridiculous lawsuit. Glock doesn’t make or supply the ALREADY ILLEGAL switches. Glock’s design is decades old, and the patent is expired.

Glock should instantly stop doing business with all the states joining this lawsuit. https://t.co/9auRsi5LMh

— Kostas Moros (@MorosKostas) December 12, 2024

Moros also suggested Glock should stop selling their products to police forces within states that are actively suing them. Glock’s products remain popular with law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

In recent years, Mexico has also tried to sue Glock and other gunmakers, alleging they’ve been negligent in their product design and sales practices. Among the claims Mexico raised, was that these manufacturers made semiautomatic firearms that could be too easily converted into automatic weapons.

A federal judge in Massachusetts dismissed Mexico’s lawsuit in an August ruling. Gun rights advocates have since successfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in.

Lawrence G. Keane, the senior vice president and general council for the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has said the high court’s ruling could be a key case in bolstering the PLCAA’s liability protections for the gun industry.