Federal Judge Blocks Connecticut’s Glock Ban
A federal judge blocked Connecticut's convertible pistol ban one day before it took effect. We tackle what the law covers and what the ruling decided.
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Connecticut's ban on Glock and clone sales is on pause after a federal judge blocked the law one day before it was set to take effect.
U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley granted a preliminary injunction on September 30, ruling that the gun industry plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their Second Amendment challenge.
Two different lawsuits were levied against the state last week -- one by Glock, Inc, the U.S. arm of the Austrian gun maker. Texas-based Shadow Systems brought the other alongside the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Blue Trail Range Corporation, a Connecticut gun retailer.
Both lawsuits challenged HB 5043/Public Act 26-41, which was signed into law in May by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont (D).
In the ruling, Dooley called the statute "presumptively unconstitutional," adding that the state did not meet the "burden of demonstrating that the statute is consistent with our nation's history of firearms regulation."
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What Is HB 5043/Public Act 26-41?
HB 5043 essentially folds so-called "convertible pistols" into Connecticut's definition of a machine gun. As such, the distribution, transport, import, or sale of these types of handguns would be a Class D felony.
Under the state's definition, a convertible pistol is "any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily converted by hand or with a common household tool into a machine gun solely by the installation or attachment of a pistol converter."
The cruciform trigger is a defining feature of Glock pistols and similar clones, meaning they would fall under the definition of a machine gun.
Over 500,000 of these types of pistols are sold each year in the U.S., according to the NSSF.
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Reactions
The gun industry heralded the injunction as a win for the Second Amendment, but some industry giants warned the fight isn't quite over.
"GLOCK, Inc. is pleased with the Court granting our motion for a preliminary injunction," the company said in a press release, but cautioned that the win was only the start. "This is only a preliminary ruling, and GLOCK will continue to seek permanent protection to safeguard the core Second Amendment rights of law-abiding businesses and consumers."
"Today's decision by the Court recognizes there are serious constitutional questions with the law Governor Ned Lamont wants to enforce to deny Second Amendment rights to citizens of his state," Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel of the NSSF, said in a statement.
"Connecticut conceded this law implicates the text of the Second Amendment and it is therefore presumptively unconstitutional. This is the correct decision to put a hold on this law while the Court can hear arguments exposing the constitutional flaws that grossly trample on the fundamental rights of law-abiding citizens."
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Connecticut legislators in support of the statute fired back, vowing to continue the fight.
"A switch turns a handgun into a machine gun. That's not a Second Amendment right. We'll keep fighting in court to keep our communities and police officers safe from dangerous and deadly overpowered firearms," Connecticut Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said in a joint statement.
"A Trump-appointed judge's tortured interpretation of the Second Amendment won't deter us from our sworn constitutional responsibility to protect our citizens."
Dooley was appointed to the District of Connecticut by President Trump in 2018.
What's Next
The injunction will only last through the litigation, and the state can appeal to the Second Circuit. It's worth noting that the Second Circuit upheld Connecticut's assault weapons ban last year.
We'll keep you updated on any further developments as this unfolds, so keep checking back!
What do you think of the convertible pistol ban? Let us know in the comments below! For more news, check out our News Section. Want to grab a Glock or a clone? Check out our recommendations in the Best Glocks You Can Buy Right Now and Best Glock Clones
Additional Resources
- HB 5043/Public Act 26-41
- NSSF Welcomes Federal Court Decision Temporarily Blocking Conn.'s Unconstitutional Gun Ban
- Facebook: Glock Press Release
- Glock Inc v. Griffin
- ORDER GRANTING PLAINTIFFS' EMERGENCY MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION (No. 26-CV-1525, ECF No. 3; No. 26-CV-1528, ECF No. 4)
- Looney, Duff Respond to Ruling Blocking Connecticut's Convertible Pistol Law