Sacramento, CA – California lawmakers have advanced Assembly Bill 1127 (AB 1127), a bill that could radically reshape how legal gun owners buy and sell semi-automatic handguns, particularly common GLOCK handguns. Behind the surface talk of cracking down on “machinegun conversion devices” is a targeted attack on some of the most popular and widely owned pistols in the country.
AB 1127 claims to stop the use of missnamed “Glock switches”—small, illegal devices that turn semi-automatic pistols into machine guns. These switches are already illegal under both federal and California law. But instead of focusing on criminals using them, this bill goes after gun shops and legal gun owners by banning the sale of any pistol that could be converted, using a vague standard that includes nearly all modern Glocks and similar models.
What the Bill Actually Does
- Defines “machinegun-convertible pistols” as any semi-auto pistol that uses a cruciform trigger bar—a common feature in Glocks and many other striker-fired pistols.
- Bans dealers from selling them, even though they are sold legally in every other state and used by civilians and law enforcement.
- Adds harsh penalties for FFLs, including license revocation after three offenses.
- Expands the legal definition of a “machinegun” to include any pistol that could be converted using these backplate-style switches, lumping standard handguns in with illegal machineguns.
In simple terms: if a gun could be converted with a part that is already illegal to possess, the gun itself may soon be illegal to sell in California.
Greg Lickenbrock, a senior firearms analyst at Everytown, stated: “No novice should be able to convert their pistol into a DIY machine gun with just a 3D printer and a screwdriver within minutes.”
But the public knows exactly what this bill is. Here are a few comments from the bill page:
Bill Clancy ~ “Any politician voting for this law should hang their head in shame. This is totally unconstitutional. Machine guns are all ready illegal, the modification of semi-auto firearms into full auto is already illegal,the parts to do this are already illegal illegal. this is sheer firearms confiscation. Anyone voting for this law is in fact breaking their oath of office.”
Tim Regehr ~ “As originally written, multiple goals were: to ban glocks, to double-ban polymer 80 glocks, to be able to stack charges on someone doing a crime with a polymer 80.
The democrats in CA were really, really mad about polymer 80s and others a few years ago. They reacted to these “untraceable guns” by closing the ability to self-manufacture firearms in CA from 80% ATF designated parts, by saying that any 80% is already a firearm, which disallows you from buying 80% without a background check and submitting ID to the government, which is what the 80% companies, from polymer frame handguns to alumin…read more.”
Martin Gonzalez ~ “Machine guns are already banned/heavily restricted. This only sets a precedent.for future ban on other firearms they don’t like. (All of them).”
Real-World Impact: A Backdoor Glock Ban
Gun rights groups are sounding the alarm. AB 1127 doesn’t just regulate illegal conversion switches—it targets the legal firearms themselves. Virtually every Gen 3–5 Glock pistol has the design features this bill targets. If AB 1127 becomes law, gun shops would be forced to stop selling most Glocks, gutting their handgun inventory overnight.
Even more troubling: it sets a dangerous precedent. Under this logic, any firearm that could theoretically be misused or altered becomes suspect. That’s like banning cars because someone might install nitrous oxide illegally. The focus is no longer on criminal behavior—it’s on outlawing common, constitutionally protected tools.
Misplaced Blame
Instead of targeting criminals who manufacture and distribute these illegal conversion devices (mostly via foreign imports and the black market), AB 1127 punishes lawful dealers. The bill even admits its main focus is on controlling gun store sales, not stopping the root problem.
Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies and the military remain exempt. The same pistols that civilians are banned from buying can still be used by government agencies, proving it’s not about safety, it’s about control.
The Bigger Picture
AB 1127 is the latest in a wave of anti-gun laws that use public safety as cover to chip away at Second Amendment rights. The truth? This bill will do nothing to stop crime, but it will hurt gun owners, gun shops, and anyone who believes in the right to own a firearm that’s legal in 49 other states.
If passed, AB 1127 opens the door to a new kind of ban, not on illegal guns, but on popular legal models that millions of Americans use for self-defense, sport shooting, and lawful carry.
Stay informed, stay loud, and fight back. California gun owners have seen this playbook before, and they know the stakes.
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