New York Proposes Crackdown On Major Gun Company

New York may become the first state to bar gun companies from selling pistols that can easily be converted into machine guns.

A proposed law , introduced Tuesday by Democratic state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, takes aim squarely at Glock. The Austrian company, whose polymer-framed pistols have played a dominant role in the handgun market since the 1980s, has faced growing criticism from gun safety groups for declining to modify a design that easily converts into an automatic weapon.

“Any business operating in New York State must take basic responsibility for its behavior in the marketplace,” Myrie said in a press release. “When an industry knows the harm its products are causing, but refuses to take meaningful steps to prevent it, government must step up to protect New Yorkers.”

If the bill passes, gun dealers who continue to sell easily convertible pistols could face felony charges.

The bill defines “convertible pistols” as those that “can be converted into a machine-gun solely by the installation or attachment of a pistol converter.”

A separate proposed law would require firearms manufacturers to take “reasonable steps to prevent the installation and use of a pistol converter.” If that bill were to become law, companies that fail to take such action could be sued under a New York law passed in 2021 that allows people affected by gun violence to sue for damages in civil court.

Glock did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But if Myrie’s bill were to become law, the company would likely challenge it, leading to a prolonged legal battle.

Tom King, the president of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, said the proposed law’s language was “very vague,” contending that aftermarket tinkerers would keep