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The Seattle Metropolis Lawyer’s Workplace has filed a lawsuit in opposition to Glock, arguing that the design of its handguns makes them particularly weak to unlawful modifications often called “Glock Switches.”
Metropolis Lawyer Ann Davison stated the lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Courtroom, seeks to have Glock handguns declared a “public nuisance” below Washington regulation.
The town desires Glock and firearms sellers to undertake measures to discourage and stop the conversion of semi-automatic pistols into totally automated weapons.
The Metropolis’s Argument
In keeping with Davison, Glock’s design makes it “very simple to, inside minutes, very cheaply, change their semi-automatic weapon to a totally automated weapon.”
Police report that lately, the usage of Glock Switches has greater than doubled the variety of rounds fired in shootings throughout the town.
Davison maintains that Seattle has an obligation to handle the problem on the supply, not simply punish people who connect the unlawful units.
“We should go upstream to the place these are designed and put into the market,” she stated.
What Are Glock Switches?
Regardless of their title, Glock Switches will not be produced or endorsed by Glock. They’re unlawful units that may be bought on-line and even made with 3D printers.
SEE ALSO: Chicago Sues Glock Over Swap Proliferation
As soon as put in, they permit a handgun to empty {a magazine} in seconds, turning routine shootings into mass-casualty occasions.
Critics Push Again
Gun rights advocates say the town is concentrating on the fallacious social gathering. William Kirk of Washington Gun Legislation informed KOMO Information the true downside will not be Glock however criminals committing the unlawful modifications.
SEE ALSO: NSSF Slams States’ ‘Lawfare’ Marketing campaign Towards GLOCK
“The issue will not be the gun producers, the issue will not be the lawful accountable gun homeowners. The issue are the people who find themselves committing the prison acts,” Kirk stated.
He additionally questioned Seattle’s broader strategy to policing (“de-policing”), suggesting metropolis insurance policies might have contributed to rising violence greater than firearm design.
What’s Subsequent
The case might check whether or not a court docket is keen to carry gun makers legally liable for the unlawful use of aftermarket units. Glock has not publicly commented on the lawsuit.
For now, the authorized battle pits Seattle metropolis leaders in opposition to one of the vital recognizable handgun manufacturers on the planet—with the result doubtlessly shaping how different cities deal with the unfold of unlawful conversion units.
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