Illinois Lawmakers Target Glock Pistols With Redesign Mandate After Criminal Modifications

Illinois law are considering a measure that would require gun manufacturers to redesign certain pistol models so they cannot be easily converted into automatic weapons.

The legislation focuses largely on Glock-style pistols, which supporters say are particularly prone to being modified with machine gun conversion devices, also known as switches or auto-sears. These are small devices that can transform semiautomatic pistols into weapons capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.

The proposal mirrors legislation California passed last year and comes as lawmakers in New York, Connecticut and Maryland consider similar bills.

Alison Shih, senior counsel for Everytown for Gun Safety, said these devices can still be purchased overseas or produced with 3D printers using designs readily available online.

"It is really akin to being like Please put some seat belts in your car before you sell the vehicle," Shih said. "We know this can save lives and sometimes industry needs a little bit of a nudge."

The legislation would not require Illinois residents who already own such firearms to give them up. Manufacturers and gun shops could sell existing inventory to licensed out-of-state buyers or to those exempt from the ban, including prison officials, nuclear facility security personnel, members of the state or federal National Guard and current and former law enforcement officers.

Fred Lutger, owner of Freddie Bear Sports gun shop in Tinley Park, said Glock weapons are some of his better sellers and described the proposed legislation as another attempt by Illinois lawmakers to restrict gun rights rather than address crime.

"We suffer every time they make another law against guns," Lutger said. "They need to go after the criminal element that picks up these guns and uses them in an illegal manner. It is not the gun that is doing illegal things."

Chicago has filed a lawsuit against Glock alleging the manufacturer knowingly ignored a design flaw in its pistols that allowed simple modifications to fire automatic rounds. The city sued in 2024 and argued Glock is by far the most common make of weapon recovered by Chicago police.

Between January and November 2025, more than a third of all guns recovered by the Chicago Police Department, nearly 2,900, were manufactured by Glock, according to CPD data analyzed by the Tribune.

Kathleen Sances, CEO and president of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC, said gun manufacturers such as Glock should be working to help prevent gun violence and that the legislation would push them to act.

"It absolutely should be their responsibility," Sances said. "And they should also be held liable for the destruction that their product does to devastate communities. Every other consumer product, those manufacturers are held liable, but not guns."

Glock discontinued its pistol model late last year and replaced the plastic nub near the rear sight with a small steel rail in its new pistol models, known as Gen V, to solve the conversion issue. However, the redesign did little to prevent modification as videos soon circulated showing modified versions of the new models firing automatically.

Officials with Glock did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

"It is not just an Illinois thing. All over the country, we are seeing more and more use of these switches turning semi-automatic handguns into fully automatic. And so it is something that we want to prioritize," said Rep. Justin Slaughter, a Chicago Democrat and the bill chief sponsor.

Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson said legislation like this could create a burdensome and costly game of Whac-A-Mole where gun manufacturers need to continually tweak their designs to adapt to the behavior of criminals.

"Almost any firearm can be converted to fire automatic rounds," Pearson said. "It shifts the burden of people illegal actions back to the corporations and companies that make things."

Illinois Democrats, who control the governor office and both chambers of the General Assembly, have advanced a series of gun restrictions in recent years. Following the July 4, 2022, shooting in Highland Park that resulted in seven dead and nearly 50 wounded, Illinois passed a law banning high-capacity magazines, auto sears and more than 100 types of semiautomatic rifles, handguns and shotguns.