Hopkinsville Police Chief Jason Newby is joining police chiefs and sheriffs across the state, asking for the Kentucky legislature to ban devices known as “Glock switches”.
“Glock switches” are small attachments that fit onto a handgun and convert it from a semi-automatic to a fully automatic machine gun capable of firing up to 1,200 rounds per minute. They are often 3D printed and roughly the size of a quarter, and right now they are illegal on the federal level, but local officials have no power to prosecute on the offense.
House Bill 299 would establish a state-level ban on the devices, making possession of a machine gun conversion device as Class C felony under Kentucky law.
In a letter to the Kentucky General Assembly, the police chiefs say they’ve seen a staggering rise in the use of these devices—in Louisville alone, seizures of the Glock switches jumped from 31 in 2023 to 80 in 2024. They say a single-pull of the trigger, with these switches, can empty a high-capacity magazine in less than three seconds, which can turn a neighborhood street into a combat zone in an instant.
GLOCK, Inc. has formally supported this measure, denouncing these illegal modifications that compromise the safety and integrity of their products.
House Bill 299 is expected to come before a committee this session for consideration.