After weeks of contemplation and debate, the Connecticut state Senate has passed a measure that would ban Glock and Glock-style pistols in the so-called Constitution State.
Notably, the measure was passed in an overnight session, with little public scrutiny possible.
“Last night, in the early morning hours of May 6th, progressives in the Connecticut Senate passed H5043, the Governor’s bill banning future manufacture, sale and importation of many commonly owned handguns in Connecticut,” NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) wrote in a legislative alert on its website. “It also puts new restrictions on unfinished frames and receivers. This bill takes aim at law-abiding manufacturers, dealers, and residents rather than individuals performing illegal modifications to notably mainstream firearm platforms.
The bill had already passed the state House, and the governor is expected to sign it into law. Advocates of the measure argued that bullets can be fired nearly three times faster from a Glock or Glock-pattern pistol when an auto sear, or so-called “Glock” switch, is added.
“I think we’re looking at new forms of gun violence that are causing cities and communities to be less safe and learning what’s working around the country,” Democrat Sen. Matt Lesser said.
In truth, the bill, like similar bills that are being considered and even passed throughout the country, was a solution looking for a problem. The National Firearms Act (NFA) expressly prohibits the use of fully automatic firearms and making any modifications to a semi-automatic to make it shoot full auto. States banning switches that are already illegal under federal law make nobody safer, since a violent criminal who ignores a federal law is unlikely to obey a state law.
While that’s bad enough, the Connecticut law is even worse. It actually bans common semi-automatic firearms used by lawful Americans for a number of legal purposes, simply because a criminal might commit yet another crime and convert the gun to full auto.
Glock pistols are among the most popular and reliable pistols on the market. They are also very reasonably priced, putting them within the budget of even low-income Connecticut citizens looking for an affordable way of protecting themselves against violent criminals. So, in effect, the Connecticut measure discriminates against lower-income citizens.
Once the governor signs the bill, a flurry of lawsuits is expected to challenge the law. In fact, Connecticut’s ban mirrors an earlier law passed by California lawmakers last fall, and within three days, a coalition of gun-rights organizations filed a federal lawsuit challenging its constitutionality.
“These handguns are in common use; indeed, they are among the most popular firearms in the nation,” the filing in Jaynes v. Bonta explained. If the law takes effect, Californians “will have no practical way to acquire them”—a direct violation of the Second Amendment.
