Albany, NY – Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages (D-Elmont) has introduced legislation with Senator Zellnor Myrie to put a definitive end to the sale of semi-automatic pistols which can be easily modified into fully automatic weapons with the addition of auto sears, commonly referred to as “Glock switches.”

In New York State, fully automatic weapons are illegal. This legislation would close a loophole that currently allows some to bypass this by requiring gun manufacturers to produce their weapons so they cannot be easily modified in order to sell them in New York. With the simple addition of an inexpensive, easily accessible device, some semi-automatic firearms can be turned into machine guns capable of firing hundreds of rounds per minute.

“Fully automatic weapons have no place in our society,” said Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages. “They are designed to be especially reckless and deadly. Their proliferation due to auto sears places more people in danger, and we cannot allow manufacturers like Glock to continue to have their firearms vulnerable to these reckless modifications. We must hold gun manufacturers to a higher standard so our communities can be protected from these dangerous weapons.”

"New Yorkers should have confidence that any business operating in our state will take reasonable precautions to prevent their products from causing harm in our communities," said Senator Myrie. "For years, Glock and other manufacturers have known their pistols can, and often are, easily converted into dangerous and illegal machine guns – and they have looked the other way. As a result, those of us in government must act to protect New Yorkers from harm and hold these companies accountable."

This growth in access to fully automatic weapons is particularly concerning as machine guns are heavily regulated at the state and federal levels. From 2017 to 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recovered 5,454 auto sears, representing a 570 percent increase over the previous five-year period. Auto sears have been used in several mass shootings, including the 2022 shooting in Sacramento, California that killed six and injured twelve.

The full legislative package being introduced today includes new mechanisms under New York’s gun industry accountability law to hold manufacturers to a strict obligation to produce weapons incapable of easy modification with auto sears. The Legislature must heed the call of advocates and law enforcement to stop the growth of these dangerous weapons and hold gun manufacturers to account.