Glock Machine Gun Ban Passes Senate Over Republican Objections
Senate passed House Bill 5043 on a 22-11 nearly party-line vote, banning the sale of handguns whose parts can be easily converted into fully automatic machine guns
Bill debunks online misinformation — existing Glock owners keep their guns; the law targets future sales of convertible models, taking effect Oct. 1, 2026
Connecticut Police Chiefs Association testified that Glock switches have been recovered in growing numbers across the state, including 51 in Hartford alone
A bill that bans the sale of Glock handguns in Connecticut that can easily be converted into fully automatic machine guns passed the state Senate Tuesday morning over vociferous Republican opposition.
House Bill 5043 passed the Senate around 7:30 a.m. on a 22-11 nearly party-line vote after hours of debate. The bill now heads to Governor Ned Lamont for his signature into law. On October 1, 2026, the knowing import, advertising, selling or offering for sale of any of these types of so-called “convertible pistols” will become a class D felony.
The bill has been subject to a host of fanciful online rumors – from banning the sale of all of the popular Glock handguns in Connecticut to allowing for the confiscation of Glocks later this year – none of which are true. Connecticut residents who now own Glock handguns can keep them.
The bill simply prevents the sale of certain handguns whose parts are easily interchangeable with an inexpensive and widely available switch that converts a semiautomatic handgun into a fully automatic machine gun. The bill simply requires firearm manufacturers to sell a different model of handgun in Connecticut without the internal parts that can be easily swapped out – a move that Glock itself is already undertaking.
In late 2025, Glock announced a new “V Series” collection of handguns with redesigned internals supposedly to improve out-of-box trigger consistency, but also incorporating an anti-conversion feature designed to frustrate illegal “switch” installation. The new V Series cover plate has been recontoured specifically to make it harder for criminals to convert these pistols to full auto.
The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association testified at the public hearing on HB 5043 that its members have seen modified firearms increasingly throughout Connecticut in recent years, with concerns that more ammunition being fired may correlate to more risk to the public. Police departments have been recovering more and more Glock switches off Connecticut’s streets – including 51 in Hartford alone, according to CTNewsJunkie.
Groups including Moms Demand Action, CT Against Gun Violence, the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Everytown for Gun Safety and the Newtown Action Alliance all testified in support of HB 5043.
The passage of HB 5043 reinforces Connecticut’s position as having some of the strongest gun laws in America and having one of the lowest rates of violent crime in the country. In 2024, Connecticut had the sixth-lowest gun death rate nationally and received an A rating from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
By Lawrence Cook