The Liberty Daily 
(The Daily Caller)—While anti-Second Amendment politicians have pushed laws targeting so-called “Glock switches,” their use in homicide has been rarer than fatal lightning strikes since 2021.
Supporters of the measures passed in four states claimed that so-called “Glock switches” are used to illegally convert Glock pistols into machine guns, claiming the bans would make streets safer. However, research by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) showed that murders with illegally-modified Glocks is rarer than fatal lightning strikes.
“The total that we have so far found is 40 murders from 17 attacks where someone was murdered,” the CPRC article says, adding that while they attempted to do an “exhaustive search,” it was possible there were other killings.
By comparison, the National Weather Service confirmed 81 fatal lightning strikes since the start of 2021. The NWS also confirmed 40 fatal lightning strikes in 2016 alone.
The CPRC noted that the rarity of killings involving pistols with the illegal modifications could be due to the risks to the operators the illegal modifications create. One such malfunction is an “out of battery discharge,” where the gun fires despite the breech being in an improper position, usually caused because a “Glock switch” bypasses the timing and trigger-reset features the semiautomatic pistols use.
Connecticut, Maryland, California and New York have passed bills banning Glocks over the so-called “Glock switches,” despite the rare use in crime and the heavy penalties involved. The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s RightSideofLegal.org website warns that having a machine-gun conversion device, like a Glock switch, without registration and authorization from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) can lead to ten years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 in fines.
Glock pistols are widely recognized for their popularity with civilians and law-enforcement agencies in the United States, frequently featured in rankings of top-selling firearms by publications such as Guns and Guns and Ammo magazine. According to a 2018 press release issued by the company, the Glock 19X model achieved sales of over 100,000 units within the first six months following its launch.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris boasted on multiple occasions about owning a Glock pistol she acquired for personal protection, even as she defended gun control laws.
