Glock switches have taken over the conversation inside and outside of the world of firearms.
They’ve become prevalent enough to enter the world news discourse, which might leave a lot of people wondering what is a Glock switch?
Table of Contents
Loading…
What Is a Glock Switch & How Does It Work?
A Glock switch is a machine gun conversion device that allows for full-auto fire.
In a normal, unmodified Glock, when the trigger is pressed, the gun fires, and the slide reciprocates, partially cocking the trigger. The trigger bar prevents the firing pin from being released for a second time until the trigger is released and pulled a second time.
This prohibits full-auto fire and creates a semi-automatic firearm – your typical, everyday Glock pistol.
However, when a Glock switch is installed, the device applies force to the trigger bar. This prevents the bar from catching and resetting the firing pin after a shot is fired.
The effect is a full-auto firearm – meaning, the gun will fire as long as the trigger is held down and as long as the magazine contains ammunition.
Due to the short slide travel of a semi-auto firearm, the rate of fire reaches nearly 1,200 rounds per minute (RPM). For comparison, something like the purpose-built M240B machine gun fires around 650 RPM.
Glock does produce a machine pistol, the Glock 18, which is full auto. It does not use a switch, though. Instead, the G18 is integrally automatic. (We reviewed one if you’re interested to learn more!) To own one of those, you have to go through the full legal hoops required by the National Firearms Act.
Glock switches, on the other hand, are aftermarket parts produced by other companies (sometimes, even using the Glock logo).
To be completely clear, Glock is not making Glock switches.
Are Glock Switches Legal?
Conversion switches, a.k.a. Glock Switches, are illegal under the NFA, which regulates machine guns and imposes stiff fines and criminal penalties for illegal machine guns.
Simple possession of such a conversion switch can lead to 10 years in federal prison. Using a Glock switch in a crime mandates a federal crime with a 30-year minimum sentence. A second offense calls for life in prison.
New production of transferable machine guns was banned in 1986. Any machine gun produced after 1986 can only be transferred to law enforcement, military, and FFLs (Federal Firearm Licensees) with appropriate licenses and Special Occupational Taxes.
While a Glock switch by itself is not a machine gun, its ability to easily convert a Glock into a machine gun means it’s regulated the same as an actual machine gun.
States like California have taken additional steps, effectively banning all Glocks and Glock clones due to their ability to accept a switch. Additionally, cities like Chicago have filed suit against Glock due to switches, though Glock and other companies producing similar pistols are not manufacturing machine guns for the consumer market.
Glock responded by discontinuing the Gen 3, Gen 4, and Gen 5 from their production lines. To replace these firearms, they’ve rolled out the Gen V, which made changes to the slide and frame to prohibit the use of Glock switches.
Since Glock’s changes, other companies like Ruger and their production of the MAX-9 pistol have been targeted.
How Do Conversion Switches Get to the U.S.?
The primary source of Glock switches comes from overseas.
According to U.S. Customs & Border Patrol, officers in Chicago seized 473 shipments with conversion devices in 2024 (nabbing a total of 1,507 switches), most of which originated from China.
“From January to June, CBP stopped 155 shipments carrying 354 ‘Glock switches,’ which are used to modify weapons to make them fully automatic. In the months of July, August, and September, officers seized a total of 241 shipments containing a whopping 948 switches,” CBP said in a press release. “Most of these seizures were from China and were heading to various locations throughout the U.S.”
Websites like Temu, Wish, and Alibaba will often remove listings, but the overall effect tends to be something akin to “Whack-A-Mole.” Not that long ago, even Amazon had Glock switches advertised as airsoft parts, but it has since eliminated those listings.
The parts themselves retail for less than $100, which makes them affordable. The simplicity of their design makes them easy to manufacture. There is little to no repercussion for overseas sellers who are well outside of American law enforcement’s jurisdiction.
Origin of the Glock Switch
A Venezuelan man named Jorge Leon is widely credited with the creation of the first Glock switch.
Leon claims he created the conversion device in 1987 with the intention of selling it to the military and police, but his patent wasn’t filed until 1996. It was approved in 1998, and Leon would only sell to qualified individuals, though it’s unclear if he sold any, even to those who qualified.
In 2016, the patent expired, and any ability for him to prevent the proliferation of these devices was effectively null. He has disavowed any illegal use of the device, and gone so far as to say he regrets every patenting it.
“After seeing and reading about all those deaths, those unnecessary deaths of youngsters, of police officers, of broken families, I don’t feel nice about that, I don’t feel good,” Leon told ABC News.“I regret filing that patent because … my technology, which was very well protected at that time, is free for everybody.”
Machine Pistols & Use in Crime
Despite machine pistols being capable of full-auto fire, you’d be hard-pressed to find military or police forces fielding these firearms. The firing rates are absurdly high, and controlling more than the first two to three rounds is difficult. Simply put, they aren’t practical.
How often are they actually used in crimes?
According to a report published by the ATF, there has been a sharp rise in the use of Glock switches in crime. Between 2017 and 2021, there was a 570% increase in the seizure of machine gun device-equipped firearms (that number includes every firearm converted to be a machine gun and is not specific to just Glock switches).
The Department of Justice launched the Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machinegun Conversion Devices, a.k.a. the ANTI-MCD. Reports from this action state that between 2019 and 2023, over 11,000 auto sears were recovered, with nearly 6,000 being recovered in 2023 alone.
There have been numerous shootings in which the perpetrators used Glock switches — most seem tied to narcotics crime and organized crime.
Baton Rouge reported 80 crimes in two years involving Glock switches. Washington D.C. has reported seizing 20 auto sears in 2021. In Houston, Texas, three officers were wounded by a perpetrator wielding a converted Glock.
These events landed Glock and the Glock switch under a national spotlight.
Law Enforcement Response
Law enforcement around the country has a renewed focus on Glock switches. The Department of Justice launched training programs to help officers across the country identify these conversion devices and how to avoid confusing standard aftermarket parts with Glock switches.
The DOJ has pressed to prosecute any case involving Glock switches with the utmost severity. There have been efforts to shut down smuggling rings importing the devices from China, including undercover operations. Convicted distributors are receiving sentences with a mandatory 10-year sentence, with many reaching higher lengths than that.
State programs like Operation Kill Switch, Project Switch Off, and Operation Flip the Switch are focusing on cracking down on the devices and offering cash rewards for tips on switch possession. Operation Reel Switch is partnering with local, state, and federal resources to track down and arrest social-media-based traffickers.
Glock switches have created a nationwide awareness of the devices and a nationwide crackdown.
Final Thoughts
The rise and fall of the Glock switch had an immediate effect on Glock pistols but could continue to impact other brands and manufacturers.
These devices continue to be actively targeted by law enforcement at every level, and with politicians setting their sights on platforms like Glock and its clones, the future impact could have long-lasting consequences.
Do you think Glock switches should be banned under the NFA? Sound off in the comments below. If you’re on the hunt for a regular ‘ole Glock, we’ve got some suggestions in the Best Glocks.
Leave a Reply