The City of Seattle, Washington has jumped aboard the lawsuit train, following Baltimore, Maryland, Chicago and the states of Minnesota and New Jersey, filing a lawsuit against Glock, Inc., and three Washington-based firearms retailers.
The issue: Glock’s alleged continued production of pistols which are being illegally converted by unknown third parties by the use of a device called a “Glock switch,” thus allowing the pistols to be fired full-auto. Seattle’s legal action, and similar previous lawsuits, assert Glock is aware of the problem but has refused to make design changes which would prevent the use of the switches.
According to an announcement Tuesday by office of Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison, she “is asking the court to require Glock to change its handguns to prevent conversion to automatic fire with the easy application of a Glock switch.”
“I’m bringing this litigation because of the massive increase in gun violence caused by converted Glocks,” Davison said in her prepared statement. “By using this civil remedy – and continuing to use criminal prosecution community-wide – we will fight gun violence both upstream and downstream.”
Davison’s office says city-wide, the number of shell casings retrieved at crime scenes by Seattle Police climbed from 2,514 in 2020 to 5,746 in 2023.
Unintentionally, Davison’s lawsuit amounts to an indictment of Seattle’s failed gun control policies and those of Washington State, including a Seattle tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition in the city, which was adopted ten years ago as a tool to reduce gun-related violent crime. The tax has been upheld by the state Supreme Court.
The 61-page lawsuit was filed in King County Superior Court. In addition to Glock, the complaint names Bull’s Eye Indoor Range (Tacoma), Pantel Tactical (Renton) and Rainier Arms (Auburn), all limited liability corporations, and none of which are located in Seattle. All three are identified as Glock “authorized dealers.”
According to KIRO News, the CBS affiliate in Seattle, police in the city started tracking the use of Glock switches, “finding them in at least 20 incidents in 2023 and 38 incidents in 2024.”
“One of the most devastating examples came in May,” KIRO reported, “when three people were killed in Pioneer Square in a shooting investigators believe involved converted Glock firearms.”
Earlier this year, Reuters reported that Maryland and the City of Baltimore had sued Glock, alleging a converted Glock pistol was capable of firing up to 1,200 rounds per minute. That state’s action was “the first test of Maryland’s Gun Industry Accountability Act adopted last year,” Reuters said.
As noted back in April by Stateline,org, other states have enacted bans on “Glock switches.” The story mentioned Alabama, New Mexico Virginia and Mississippi.
“Gun conversion devices have become a rare point of bipartisan agreement on gun policy,” the Stateline report said.
Among the lawsuit’s allegations are that “Between 2017 and 2021, Glock 9mm pistols were the most frequently recovered crime gun in Washington. Glock manufactured 31% of the 7,372 crime guns recovered in the state during this period.”
The lawsuit further asserts, “ATF reports that the top two most frequently recovered crime guns between 2017 and 2021 in the City were made by Glock. Glock manufactured 40% of the 1,112 crime guns recovered in the City during this period.”
Later, the city describes a Glock Switch as “a type of auto sear that converts semi-automatic Glock handguns into fully automatic weapons.” It says these devices are made from metal or plastic, and are roughly the size of a dime.”
Further, the complaint says Seattle police have recovered converted Glocks used in crimes that were sold by the three retailers named in the lawsuit.
While the lawsuit criticizes Glock—both the company and the firearms—it doesn’t address the irony that Glock pistols are carried by Seattle police, King County Sheriff’s deputies, and police officers in various jurisdictions up and down the entire Interstate 5 corridor. Indeed, Glock pistols may be the most widely used handgun in American law enforcement today.
The lawsuit mentions incidents involving pistols allegedly fitted with the controversial switches in Tacoma, Lynnwood and Seattle involving suspects as young as 13 and 14 years old, who are prohibited by current Washington law from possessing or carrying handguns.
The lawsuit seeks “actual and compensatory damages,” “reasonable attorney’s fees and costs,” and “pre-judgment and post-judgment interest.
Seattle Sues Glock and 3 Washington Gun Retailers over ‘Glock Switches’ by AmmoLand Shooting Sports News
About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
Since Glock is such a dirty bird, all law enforcement in Washington state (and anyplace else that sues Glock) should immediately switch to Sig 320s.
Unless the FFL dealers are selling the “switches”, this case is TOTALLY a WEAPONIZATION JUDICIAL FRIVOLOUS CASE. When the “Bringers” FAIL in this case SUE THEM PERSONALLY TILL THEY HAVE NO SOCKS TO WEAR!!
These and other cities must have been asleep the day the Supreme Court decision in the Smith and Wesson v Mexico decision was announced. That’s easy to understand since it was all the way back in March of 2025. What did that case decide? Simple, the gun industry and gun dealers are protected under the PLCAA absent something that directly connects them to illegal activity. In that case it was Mexico claiming the gun industry was responsible for their crime by making and selling AR style rifles. Substitute the city names for Mexico, the company name Glock for S&W, and… Read more »
Glock should countersue the city of Seattle for their FAILURE to control the criminals who violate city, state and federal law. The city of Seattle, failing in their duties, has put an undue burden on Glock and their business.
For years it has been reported that”criminals” don’t buy their weapons, by and large, from legal businesses. Why then are the authorities going after Glock and three specific dealers? King County is looking for a scapegoat for their own failures.
I don’t know how many of you saw the video in which a group of very young Black gang bangers (13-15 year olds) were all showing off their Glocks with “switchees” and extended magazines. The scene was absolutely terrorizing.
The minute we stopped “STOP & FRISK”, we earned ourselves a world of hurt. I stopped caring for what the mothers of these young black boys care about. Their sons have way more to fear from each other than they do from the police.
Idiots using the courts in ways they were never meant to be used and bigger idiots allowing them to do it without sanction.
“Lawyers are like other people–fools on the average; but it is easier for an ass to succeed in that trade than any other.”
— Mark Twain
I Hate plastic guns, Glock triggers Suck, don’t like the grip or the sights.
The Browning HP, CZ 75, and 1911 fit my hand like a glove, have wonderful triggers, and are joy to shoot.
My everyday carry for the last 25+ years is a worn slick Glock 17….
Why????
Because The Dammed Thing Works!
ALWAYS!!!
When this FRIVILOUS CASE is THROWN OUT, then it is time to SUE the Individuals that brought this WEAPONIZED Lawsuit!!
By their liberal “logic”, if someone purchases upgrade parts that make a car not street legal and then kills someone walking across the street, you can sue the car company and even the dealership that sells them. What a twisted joke.