TRENTON — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Thursday a lawsuit against Glock, Inc. and Glock Ges.m.b.H., accusing the firearms manufacturer of enabling the conversion of its semi-automatic pistols into illegal machine guns through inexpensive, easily accessible devices known as “Glock switches.”
The lawsuit, filed in New Jersey Superior Court’s Chancery Division, seeks to halt Glock’s sales of such weapons in the state and demands restitution for what officials described as the company’s dangerous and unlawful commercial practices. The devices, which can be purchased online for less than $20 or 3D-printed, allow Glock pistols to fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute with a single trigger pull.
New Jersey has undertaken significant criminal justice reforms to create a fairer and more effective system. In 2017, the state shifted from a cash bail system to a risk-based approach, allowing judges to assess defendants’ risk levels rather than their financial means. This change aimed to prevent low-risk individuals from being detained solely due to inability to pay bail, while ensuring that high-risk defendants could be detained pretrial.
Further reforms include the 2019 “clean slate” expungement law, enabling individuals with certain convictions to clear their records after ten years without new offenses. Additionally, voting rights were restored to over 80,000 residents on probation or parole, allowing them to participate fully in the democratic process.
In 2020, New Jersey enacted legislation to accelerate juvenile justice reforms, enhance law enforcement accountability, and expand reentry benefits for formerly incarcerated individuals. These measures aim to address systemic issues and promote rehabilitation, reflecting the state’s commitment to comprehensive criminal justice reform.
Attorney General Platkin argued that Glock has long been aware of the ease with which its pistols can be converted into handheld machine guns, citing evidence of the company’s knowledge dating back to the 1980s. “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. “Our message today to Glock is clear: the days of putting greed ahead of the safety of our residents and law enforcement officers are over.”
The lawsuit highlights the escalating use of Glock handguns in New Jersey crimes. State data shows that Glock handgun recoveries tied to criminal activity have risen by 104% between 2020 and 2023. Federal authorities have also seen a national spike in machine gun conversion parts, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives reporting a 570% increase in seizures between 2017 and 2021.
New Jersey’s filing comes alongside a coordinated effort by a multistate coalition to hold firearms manufacturers accountable for gun violence. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also announced a similar lawsuit against Glock on Thursday, citing the company’s failure to address the risks posed by these modifications.
“Glock knows that its guns are commonly switched to machine guns and routinely used to perpetrate violent crime, but has done nothing meaningful to stop it,” said Ravi Ramanathan, Director of New Jersey’s Statewide Affirmative Firearms Enforcement Office.
The legal action reflects New Jersey’s commitment to enforcing its stringent gun laws, including a 2022 statute designed to hold the firearms industry accountable for public safety violations.
