March 13, 2026
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Austrian gun manufacturer Glock faces a civil lawsuit in Philadelphia that accuses the company of deceptively marketing its handguns with illegal machine gun converters — also known as switches — that can fire up to 1,200 rounds per minute. Above, a switch is shown next to a Glock pistol.
The city of Philadelphia is suing Austrian gun manufacturer Glock, alleging the company markets pistols equipped with illegal machine gun conversion devices.
The civil complaint, filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, claims Glock's promotion of "switches" was directed at young people and contributed to a surge of gun violence in the city. District Attorney Larry Krasner joined the lawsuit, filing the complaint on behalf of the state.
"Outrageously, Glock has encouraged these modifications by portraying them as a somehow ‘fun’ and exciting use of their product, rather than as an illegal and dangerous practice," Krasner said in a statement.
Switches, also known as auto sears, are small tools designed to alter the mechanics of the trigger bar on a semi-automatic pistol. When attached to the rear slide of a handgun, they prevent the trigger from catching on the firing pin. A single pull of the trigger fires continuous rounds — up to 1,200 bullets per minute, according to the lawsuit — and causes powerful recoil that can lead to uncontrolled gunfire.
Possessing switches is prohibited under federal law, even if they are not attached to a weapon. The metal and plastic devices are often made cheaply overseas — sometimes using 3D printers — and then imported into the United States to be sold on the black market.
Glock's handguns have become widely associated with switches. The devices are often designed to be attached to the company's firearms with relative ease, although they can also be installed on semi-automatic weapons from other manufacturers.
The complaint filed Friday points to social media posts from Glock that promote and demonstrate the capabilities of its converted handguns.
In one video posted on Glock's Instagram account in September 2018, the company showed a woman firing at a target range with a caption that said she "knows the only thing more fun than a Glock is an auto-Glock," according to court documents. Another Instagram post in December 2023 featured a video of a man firing a converted G18 handgun in the woods.
Representatives from Glock's U.S. headquarters in Georgia did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.
Philadelphia now joins Chicago, Baltimore and Seattle among U.S. cities that have sued Glock over its marketing practices. New Jersey sued Glock two years ago, and similar lawsuits have been filed against the company by Minnesota and Maryland.
In recent years, Krasner has talked about Philadelphia crime scenes littered with dozens of bullet casings consistent with the use of switches. In many instances, the ballistics evidence traces back to Glock handguns, he said Friday.
The complaint references a Fourth of July shooting in Grays Ferry last year that killed three people and injured nine others, including five teenagers. A portion of the shooting was captured by a doorbell camera and showed a suspect firing a barrage of rounds from a handgun equipped with a switch, authorities said. Investigators found more than 100 rounds at the scene. Four people have been charged in connection with the shooting.
The lawsuit does not say whether any of the weapons used in the Grays Ferry shooting were made by Glock.
Philadelphia passed a law two years ago banning the production, purchase, sale or transfer of switches in the city. Pennsylvania does not have a state law banning the devices. Under federal law, possession of a switch is punishable with a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
The lawsuit alleges Glock's advertising misleads gun buyers by failing to make clear that conversion devices are illegal.
“Glock has prioritized profit over the safety of its users and the general public, and it’s time for them to be held accountable under the law for the damage the products they advertise do to human lives," Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement.
The suit seeks damages from Glock for violations of state and local laws, along with injunctive relief to prevent Glock from marketing fully automatic pistols in Philadelphia and the rest of the state.
