Prosecutors push ban on Glock switches in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association urged Gov. Josh Shapiro and lawmakers in a letter to pass legislation they deem critical public safety priorities. A primary focus is on banning so‑called Glock switches, devices prosecutors say convert handguns into rapid‑fire weapons. The association lists gun safety, regulations on skill games, and outlawing “swatting” among its top priorities.Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack spoke with WGAL News 8’s AJ Sisson on the push for machine‑gun conversion devices, known as Glock switches.Cumberland County DA on Glock switches”They’re not legal for anyone to own currently. But the issue is the federal government, the US Attorney’s office isn’t necessarily focused on prosecuting those possession of those cases,” McCormack said.Prosecutors say Glock switches are inexpensive, can be 3‑D printed and are capable of firing about 30 rounds in under a second. Federal law already criminalizes possession of conversion devices and can carry 10 to 20 years in prison.”Thirty rounds out of one particular handgun in less than a second is really a threat to the community,” McCormack said. “I would seek it to be a felony crime.”Under Pennsylvania law, a Glock switch found on a legally owned gun could be charged as a prohibited offensive weapon, a first‑degree misdemeanor. McCormack said he wants the devices reclassified so local prosecutors can pursue tougher charges. Advocacy groups respondThe Pennsylvania Gun Owners of America opposes a state‑level ban and helped strike down related legislation last fall. The group argues that broader criminal statutes can address offenders without additional state prohibitions.”Making it illegal in Pennsylvania, is that going to deter them?” said Val Finnel, Pa. director for Gun Owners of America. “It’s not something that’s going to prevent a criminal from committing a crime or doing anything like that. It’s only going to affect law-abiding citizens.”CeaseFirePA, which advocates against gun violence, supports a ban and says the devices multiply harm.”Glock switches are easy to make, have been proliferating and serve one purpose, which is to multiply carnage,” said Adam Garber, CeaseFire PA CEO. “There was an attempt to ban these Glock switches and other machine gun conversion devices that failed in the Pennsylvania House by a single vote.”Other public safety priorities by PDAAMcCormack detailed further talking points listed in the letter, linked at the start of this article, to state lawmakers, such as the unregulation of skill games and “swatting.””(Skill games) are completely untaxed,” McCormack said. “I worry about minors being able to just walk into a convenience store and play one of these things and gamble away the money.”When asked what should be done, McCormack said they should be taxed, and the money generated from skill games should go back into communities where they’re located. “There’s a substantial amount of money here,” McCormack said. “Help us with providing mental health services because police officers each and every day have to deal with people that are in a mental health crisis, and we do not have the resources at the county level to deal with this on our own.”Swatting is known as a prank call to a law enforcement organization to dispatch the SWAT team to a location. McCormack said this happened in Cumberland County at a school where a call came in from a person in California and pushes for tougher penalties at the state level.”It can be done for many different reasons to annoy, to harass, to intimidate, citizens or businesses, or to divert resources,” McCormack said. “What we’re asking for is that the legislature to look at that and come up with a specific crime to make illegal swatting.”

CARLISLE, Pa. —

The Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association urged Gov. Josh Shapiro and lawmakers in a letter to pass legislation they deem critical public safety priorities. A primary focus is on banning so‑called Glock switches, devices prosecutors say convert handguns into rapid‑fire weapons.

The association lists gun safety, regulations on skill games, and outlawing “swatting” among its top priorities.

Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack spoke with WGAL News 8’s AJ Sisson on the push for machine‑gun conversion devices, known as Glock switches.

Cumberland County DA on Glock switches

“They’re not legal for anyone to own currently. But the issue is the federal government, the US Attorney’s office isn’t necessarily focused on prosecuting those possession of those cases,” McCormack said.

Prosecutors say Glock switches are inexpensive, can be 3‑D printed and are capable of firing about 30 rounds in under a second. Federal law already criminalizes possession of conversion devices and can carry 10 to 20 years in prison.

“Thirty rounds out of one particular handgun in less than a second is really a threat to the community,” McCormack said. “I would seek it to be a felony crime.”

Under Pennsylvania law, a Glock switch found on a legally owned gun could be charged as a prohibited offensive weapon, a first‑degree misdemeanor. McCormack said he wants the devices reclassified so local prosecutors can pursue tougher charges.

Advocacy groups respond

The Pennsylvania Gun Owners of America opposes a state‑level ban and helped strike down related legislation last fall. The group argues that broader criminal statutes can address offenders without additional state prohibitions.

“Making it illegal in Pennsylvania, is that going to deter them?” said Val Finnel, Pa. director for Gun Owners of America. “It’s not something that’s going to prevent a criminal from committing a crime or doing anything like that. It’s only going to affect law-abiding citizens.”

CeaseFirePA, which advocates against gun violence, supports a ban and says the devices multiply harm.

“Glock switches are easy to make, have been proliferating and serve one purpose, which is to multiply carnage,” said Adam Garber, CeaseFire PA CEO. “There was an attempt to ban these Glock switches and other machine gun conversion devices that failed in the Pennsylvania House by a single vote.”

Other public safety priorities by PDAA

McCormack detailed further talking points listed in the letter, linked at the start of this article, to state lawmakers, such as the unregulation of skill games and “swatting.”

“(Skill games) are completely untaxed,” McCormack said. “I worry about minors being able to just walk into a convenience store and play one of these things and gamble away the money.”

When asked what should be done, McCormack said they should be taxed, and the money generated from skill games should go back into communities where they’re located.

“There’s a substantial amount of money here,” McCormack said. “Help us with providing mental health services because police officers each and every day have to deal with people that are in a mental health crisis, and we do not have the resources at the county level to deal with this on our own.”

Swatting is known as a prank call to a law enforcement organization to dispatch the SWAT team to a location. McCormack said this happened in Cumberland County at a school where a call came in from a person in California and pushes for tougher penalties at the state level.

“It can be done for many different reasons to annoy, to harass, to intimidate, citizens or businesses, or to divert resources,” McCormack said. “What we’re asking for is that the legislature to look at that and come up with a specific crime to make illegal swatting.”