Proposed N.Y. Legislation Aims to Ban Pistols with Machine Gun-like Firing Capability

A proposed bill in New York aims to prevent the sale of pistols that can be converted to fire like machine guns, as reported by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.

If passed, this legislation would be the first of its kind in the United States and is set to be introduced on Tuesday, according to the report.

The bill targets gun manufacturers who fail to implement safeguards to prevent their handguns from being converted into machine guns using devices like pistol converters or Glock switches. These small devices, about the size of a thumbnail, enable the rapid emptying of a gun’s magazine by holding down the trigger, explained bill sponsor and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, D-Brooklyn.

Rather than directly addressing the switches themselves, Myrie’s bill focuses on holding accountable any individual or entity that sells, transports, or ships a “convertible pistol” as merchandise, making it a felony offense, as reported by the Journal.

“This is New York’s effort to protect our constituents,” said Myrie to the Journal. “This is a problem of refusal to address an issue by certain gun makers.”

However, the president of a pro-Second Amendment group criticized the legislation, describing it as an example of lawmakers’ ignorance.

“I guarantee you there’s someone out there who will find a way around it if Glock or other manufacturers modify their products,” said New York State Rifle & Pistol Association President Tom King to the Journal.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms reported an alarming 570% increase in the seizures of machine gun converters by law enforcement from 2017 to 2021.

Jorge Leon, the inventor of the Glock switch patented in 1998, intended to assist law enforcement and military personnel with his creation. Unfortunately, he did not anticipate the risks posed by the internet and 3D printers, which have enabled criminals to replicate his invention and misuse it against police and civilians.

“I feel very bad,” Leon shared with KARE11 in February. “I am sad about that. I would like to do something to fix the problem.”