Baltimore sues Glock over handguns that can easily be converted to automatic weapons

BALTIMORE — Baltimore is suing gunmaker Glock over design features that allow its handguns to be easily modified to become fully automatic weapons, which enables criminals to inflict more damage and makes the city more dangerous, attorneys argue in a complaint filed Wednesday.

The lawsuit follows similar cases brought against Glock in Chicago, Minnesota and New Jersey. They accuse the company of failing to protect the public by selling firearms that can be adapted with dime-sized switches to spray continuous gunfire — up to 1,200 rounds per minute — instead of firing one bullet each time the trigger is pulled.

''That's faster than the weapons of war that I used in the Army,'' Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown said during a news conference Wednesday morning announcing it. ''ATF agents call it ‘spray and pray' because once the trigger is pulled, there's no control — only carnage.''

The state of Maryland joined the city of Baltimore as a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

Often referred to as Glock switches or auto sears, the conversion devices can be bought for about $20 or 3D-printed. They've received heightened attention in recent years because they're increasingly turning up at crime scenes.

Glock isn't the only gunmaker whose weapons can be adapted with switches, but critics say its handguns are among the easiest to convert. With rare exceptions, federal law prohibits the sale and possession of machine guns.

''Glock could have designed its pistols to prevent auto sears from working. They chose not to. That choice cost lives,'' Brown said.

Glock didn't respond to a Wednesday email seeking comment, and it hasn't responded to previous AP requests for comment on lawsuits over the switches. But a gun industry group has condemned the New Jersey and Minnesota lawsuits as frivolous claims that abuse the judicial system and disregard federal law.

A report last year by the anti-violence organization Everytown for Gun Safety said modified Glocks are often used in crimes. And the company has long been aware that easy conversion is a selling point, said Eric Tirschwell, executive director of Everytown Law, which represents the plaintiffs in the Maryland lawsuit.

The brand is perhaps best known for its popularity among law enforcement officers, who almost exclusively carry Glock handguns. But Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said the recent proliferation of Glock switches means his officers increasingly find themselves ''outmatched by criminals.''

Baltimore police recovered 65 modified Glocks in 2024, compared to 35 the previous year, officials said. Roughly half the people arrested with modified Glocks since the beginning of 2023 were under 21 years old, according to the suit. The complaint alleges that Glock switches are adding to a culture of violence among young men across Baltimore.

Filed in state court in Baltimore, the lawsuit accuses Glock of violating Maryland's public nuisance laws. It seeks an injunction preventing the sale of certain firearms in Maryland, a court order demanding safety measures and restitution payments that could contribute to anti-violence programs.

The Maryland General Assembly passed a law last year allowing for civil action against members of the firearm industry who fail to meet minimum standards to prevent harm. Another bill banned the conversion devices.

Baltimore leaders also sued the ghost gun manufacturer Polymer80, which agreed to stop selling its untraceable, unassembled firearms to Maryland residents under a settlement announced last year. The Nevada-based company later shut down after facing a deluge of lawsuits.

Baltimore has recently experienced significant reductions in gun violence that experts attribute to robust anti-violence programs, improvements in policing and pandemic recovery, among other factors. But Mayor Brandon Scott said his administration is ''mobilizing every resource at our disposal'' to continue those positive trends, including civil litigation.