As Cam Edwards noted over at our sister site, Bearing Arms, where I'm also a contributor, Glock appears to be discontinuing most models of its popular firearms and bringing out a new version. This one is, supposedly, impossible to convert to full auto.
This comes after an aggressive campaign to blame Glock for machine guns on American streets, but it was never Glock's fault.
The Glock design is one of the most popular firearms in the world. Many armed citizens in the United States trust their lives to these guns, and it's the most popular firearm for police departments. Glock was also in the running to be the new military sidearm, and a lot of people think it got robbed of the contract, especially as the Sig model that was selected has some...issues.
In recent years, though, the so-called "Glock switch" started showing up on America's streets. These devices are illegal under federal law, and many states have also outlawed them, mostly so local and state attorneys can press charges if the feds won't.
But none of this was because of Glock.
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See, the switch was designed by a third party. It wasn't someone who worked for Glock. It was someone who just wanted to see if he could do it, basically, and he did. These devices were handy for those who wanted a full-auto switch on their handgun, but Glock didn't design them and never sold them.
Most of the switches initially came from China, which likes to talk a big game about how our Second Amendment is a human rights violation, but since they keep literal slave camps, we can easily dismiss their opinion on the matter, especially since they've done nothing to stop the export of these things.
Then someone figured out how to make one with a 3D printer, and it was all over.
Now, several states are considering laws that would ban Glocks and similarly designed firearms, which likely prompted Glock to change the design. California has already passed its version, though it's unlikely that Glocks will suddenly be sold in the state due to other regulations.
Still, it should stem the tide (hopefully) elsewhere.
The problem is that Glock was being held responsible for something it never did, and it was just expected that the company would change a well-proven design because of what third parties did. Glock caved, which I wish it hadn't, but the potential financial hit might well have been too great if every state considering a ban on its guns passed one.
We'll have to see if the new models are as reliable as the old ones, and then we'll have to see if someone can figure out how to make these full-auto or if they will even bother.
Either way, this is disturbing because it's yet another example of holding the firearm industry accountable for the actions of criminals over whom it has no control. It's no different than Mexico trying to sue the industry because of straw buyers and stolen guns making their way south of the border. It's no different than cities suing companies because criminals with stolen guns hurt people.
The only difference is that by Glock making the change, it's only going to embolden some of these anti-gun dipsticks.
