Connecticut Bans Convertible Pistols Amid Rising Seizures

0:00Connecticut's pushing a bill to ban sales of convertible pistols, mainly glocks, that tiny switches can turn into machine guns. House Bill 5043, introduced by Governor Ned Lamont back in February, just passed the house this week. It's aimed at stopping these easy mods amid a spike in seized illegal devices. Nationwide, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives report switches, jump from 658 in 2019 to 5, 1816 in 2023. In Connecticut, they recovered 31 modified guns last year, plus more loose switches and places like Hartford 22 just this year so far. Officials blame 3D printing for the rise. Gun dealers are seeing a rush on glocks, with sales up 19% from February to March and 33% higher than last March. They argue the law hits law-abiding buyers, not crooks, and calls it unconstitutional. One dealer said folks are stocking up before any ban kicks in.

1:02Supporters like every town for gun safety say it's about pressuring makers for safer designs, since switches are already illegal, but hard to spot. Without testing, critics from the gun industry point out convictions for machine gun crimes stay flat, even as charged as crime. Why not just prosecute the bad guys? Meanwhile, Connecticut's got a huge firearms economy worth $1.6 billion, and the governor insists updating laws keeps the state safe. As criminals evolve, this debate's heating up as the bill heads to the Senate. Hartford News today, powered by AI bringing you what matters.