Glock switch

Auto sear installable on a Glock

A switch attached to a Glock pistol

A Glock switch (sometimes called a button or a giggle switch)[1][2][3][4] is a small device that can be attached to the rear of the slide of a Glock handgun, changing the semi-automatic pistol into a selective fire machine pistol capable of fully automatic fire. As a type of auto sear, it functions by applying force to the trigger bar to prevent it from limiting fire to one round of ammunition per trigger pull. This device by itself, regardless if it is installed on a slide or not, is classified by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to be a machine gun, making possession of the device illegal in the United States under most circumstances.[5]

For reference, one model of Glock not available to civilians (the G18) has a built-in select-fire function and thus can also fire as fast as the short-recoil action can cycle. This allows the pistol to fire at approximately 1,200 rounds per minute, meaning it could empty a standard capacity 17 or extended 33 round magazine in 0.85 or 1.65 seconds respectively. The Glock 17 and 18 are identical in most respects except for the slide and its selective fire function, implying a Glock 17 could cycle at the same speed.[6]

## Operation

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A Glock switch functions by applying force to a semi-automatic pistol's trigger bar (disconnector) to prevent it from limiting fire to one round of ammunition per trigger pull.[7][8] Normally, in a semiautomatic pistol, after firing, the trigger bar catches the firing pin until the trigger is released, but when depressed by the switch it does not catch. A Glock switch thus converts the weapon into a machine pistol capable of automatic fire.[9] The device is roughly the size of a United States quarter, and when installed on the rear of the slide on a Glock pistol (replacing the slide cover plate), adds a selective fire switch; flipping the switch sets the weapon to full automatic mode, which is capable of firing as many rounds per minute as the short-recoil action allows.[9]

## History

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A patent for the Glock auto-sear was filed in 1996 and approved in 1998, with its invention credited to Venezuelan Jorge A. Leon, who claims to have invented the device in 1987.[10]

The first reported appearance of Glock switches in the United States occurred in 2002 when an Argentinian was arrested for sending Glock switches among other illegal firearms to the United States, with 16 later being recovered by the ATF in 2003.[11]

A handgun with a Glock switch attached fits the definition of a machine gun under United States federal law.[12] The 1986 Firearm Owners Protection Act made new machine guns illegal for civilians to own, banning "possession and transfer of new automatic firearms and parts that fire bullets without stopping once the trigger is depressed", with the exception of machine guns manufactured prior to May 19, 1986.[13] The penalties for possession of an unregistered machine gun in the United States are up to a $250,000 fine and prison sentences of up to 10 years.[13]

In 2019, the ATF recovered thousands of the devices which were imported from China.[14] Since 2021, people have been manufacturing the switch devices with 3D printers.[12][14] In March 2022, a Vice News investigation learned that the federal prosecutions which involved conversion devices have been rising since 2017. They determined that from 2017 to 2022, advances in low-cost 3D printers and global commerce on the internet have made the devices available for as little as US$20.[15] In 2022, federal authorities documented a dramatic rise in the prevalence of the Glock switches.[16]

## Legality

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In the United States, per the ATF: "A Glock Switch is a part which was designed and intended for use in converting a semi-automatic Glock pistol into a machine gun; therefore, it is a "legal machine gun" as defined in 26 U.S.C. 5845(b)." These devices are therefore illegal for civilians to possess under federal law.[17]

## See also

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* Heckler & Koch VP70, polymer-framed pistol with a similar device (auto stock)

### In general

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* Bump stock
* Hell-fire trigger
* Gun politics in the United States
* September 2024 Birmingham shooting
* Tuskegee University shooting

## References

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1. ^ "What is a Glock Switch? How a small device turns handguns into machine guns". FOX 2 Detroit. 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
2. ^ Peterson, Beatrice (2023-11-07). "Capitol police find gun with 'giggle switch' after armed men crash into barricade". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
3. ^ Giggle Switch Worthy of my Index Finger, archived from the original on November 8, 2023, retrieved 2023-11-07, on Youtube, Jerry Miculek - Pro Shooter
4. ^ Jackman, Tom (12 February 2025). "Md., Baltimore sue Glock over device enabling machine-gun fire". The Washington Post. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
5. ^ https://www.atf.gov/file/11236/download Archived August 1, 2024, at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ "G18". Glock. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
7. ^ Fire selector system, U.S. Patent 5,705,763, to J.A. Leon, 1/6/1998
8. ^ "Indictment: So-called 'Glock switches' Would have Turned Pistols into Machine Guns". U.S. Department of Justice. 30 May 2019. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
9. ^ a b "Jacksonville Man Sentenced To Five Years In Federal Prison For Selling Machinegun-Conversion Device To Undercover Agent". U.S. Department of Justice. 2 December 2022. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
10. ^ Hutchinson, Bill (24 June 2024). "'I feel terrified': Inventor of 'Glock switch' technology says he regrets creation". ABC News. Archived from the original on August 21, 2024.
11. ^ "Internet Arms Trafficking". Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024.
12. ^ a b Smith, Kelli (13 December 2022). "Devices that turn pistols into illegal machine guns on the rise in Texas, chief says". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on March 30, 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
13. ^ a b Nestel, M.L.; Miller, Andrea (4 October 2017). "What to know about machine gun laws in the US". ABC News. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
14. ^ a b Glover, Scott; Devine, Curt (30 August 2022). "A device that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into a machine gun in moments is wreaking havoc on American streets". Cable News Network (CNN). Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
15. ^ Stephens, Alain (24 March 2022). "Tiny 'Glock Switches' Have Quietly Flooded the US With Deadly Machine Guns". Vice Media Group. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
16. ^ Barned-Smith, St. John (25 February 2022). "More Houston shootings are involving 'Glock switches,' which turn pistols into machine guns". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
17. ^ "Firearms Technology FAQ". www.atf.gov. ATF. Retrieved 2011-03-29.

## External links

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* Video More 'Glock Switches' confiscated in Tennessee
* Video Penny-sized 'Glock switch' turns handgun into automatic weapon