The American corporation Glock announced that, as of November 30, it will suspend production of most of its current models of pistol. They will be replaced by a new series marked with the letter “V”. The first reports of this “revolution” appeared on social media — for example the Glockstore shop published that “All Glocks will be replaced with new Glock 'V Models.' These will have changes that prevent switch conversions” to fully automatic fire. Glock quickly denied that that service had any authorization to disclose the company’s plans. At the same time the company emphasized that, as part of its innovation strategy, it is adjusting its offering: “In order to focus on the products that will drive future innovation and growth, we are making a strategic decision to reduce our current commercial portfolio” the brand’s representatives declared. The new V-series pistols are intended to eventually replace the withdrawn models and — Glock assures — to simplify and improve the lineup.
What is an “auto sear” and how does it work?
An “auto sear” (also colloquially called a “switch” or “Glock switch”) is a small device that converts a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon. It is mounted on the rear of the slide at the location of the backplate, where a special catch holds the firing pin/striker in the cocked position, allowing the weapon to fire continuously until the magazine is empty. In practice this means several hundred up to about 1,200 rounds per minute in a Glock with the switch “on.” Such modifications can be made cheaply (ready-made 3D designs of such a converter can be found online) and — unfortunately — they often appear at crime scenes. For example, authorities in Chicago seized more than 1,100 Glocks converted to fully automatic weapons with such switches illegally between 2021 and 2023. Using such equipment places a huge strain on the pistol itself — sustained automatic fire constantly accelerates wear on internal parts, because original Glocks were not designed for such high rates of fire.
Legal status of the “auto sear” in the USA
Under federal law, an auto sear is considered a part of a fully automatic weapon. The 1934 Act and subsequent regulations define “machinegun” not only as a finished weapon but also as any part intended solely to convert a weapon into a fully automatic one. This means that — apart from rare exceptions (items registered before 1986 for collectors) — the sale, possession, or manufacture of wholly new auto sears is illegal in the U.S. Additionally, several states have enacted their own laws banning such converters. For example, Alabama, California, New York, and Florida are only some of the 27 states (as well as the District of Columbia) that explicitly prohibit possession or sale of devices like an “auto sear.” Some states have also tightened the definition of weaponry — treating any part designed for conversion as a machinegun, even if that is not its sole function. In practice this means that even semi-finished (“unfinished”) converter components are sometimes considered illegal replacement parts for automatic weapons by the ATF.
Legal status of the “auto sear” in Poland
In Poland it looks similar to the United States, although the regulations can be considered milder. A fully automatic weapon is regarded as particularly dangerous and may be possessed only under a concession or, in some cases, with a permit for training purposes. Making any modifications that change the character of a weapon, including converting a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic one, is treated as the manufacture of a weapon and without a concession is punishable by up to ten years’ imprisonment. However, possession of the “block” itself is not regulated by law and as long as it is not connected to a pistol, its possession should not pose any problem.
Auto sear in shootings and pressure on Glock
The popularity of the so-called “Glock switch” has increased in recent years, partly due to several high-profile attacks and shootings. Besides the Chicago cases mentioned above, police found weapons with switches after the supermarket massacre in Buffalo (May 2022) and in other assaults. ATF reports confirm a huge rise: recovered and seized converting devices increased from about 658 units in 2019 to more than 5,800 in 2023 (an increase of +784%!). At the same time legislative pressure is growing — many states are banning the sale of guns that are easily convertible. For example, California has just passed a law prohibiting the sale of pistols that can be converted to fully automatic weapons — effectively preventing the introduction of new Glocks in their old versions to the local market. As a result, Glock has become central in legal disputes. For example, in March 2024 the city of Chicago filed a lawsuit against Glock, alleging that the company “knowingly failed to prevent” the easy conversion of its pistols. Glock defended itself, stating that it cooperates with authorities to prosecute illegal sellers of switches, while at the same time asserting that “our pistols cannot be changed” in a way that truly prevents switch installation. These claims do not, however, quell critics — many believe that fear of anti-gun politics and new regulations (such as in California) is pushing Glock to thoroughly refresh its lineup.
Glock’s response and the introduction of the “V” series
So far Glock officially speaks of a business strategy rather than directly about “switches.” In a press release the company wrote that it wants to “to focus on the products that will drive future innovation and growth” and therefore simplify its portfolio. It also added that discontinued models will still be supported by service, and the changes concern only the commercial offering. The new “V-series” pistols are to go on sale from December 2025 and will include variants such as the G17V, G19V, G19X V, G45V, and compact G26V. According to media reports, the new models have temporarily abandoned the modular optic mounting system (MOS) — likely to avoid design compromises — while introducing internally designed elements intended to be incompatible with current switches (although the company has not yet disclosed details). For now Glock has not officially responded to many rumors. It is known, however, that by November 30, 2025 Glock will stop shipping the withdrawn versions to distributors. From that point only the “base” V series will be available, and service for older pistols will fall solely to gunsmiths. Commenting on these changes, industry experts note the complexity of the situation. On one hand Taran Butler (founder of Taran Tactical, a company specializing, among other things, in Glock modifications) and other well-known designers admit that introducing new models may be an attempt to adapt to tightened legislation — e.g., California law banning easy conversions. On the other hand some shooters criticize Glock’s move as artificially complicating a proven design. There is currently no official specification of the new “V” models, so many questions remain open.
The shooting community is watching closely to see whether the new Glock V series will actually solve the problem of illegal “switches,” or whether they simply result from regulatory pressure (especially in large states).
