Screenshot / YouTube FOX 32 Chicago, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

The city of Chicago is suing Glock over its firearm design, arguing that the maker ignored warnings that its handguns can be easily converted into machine guns.

“Today, @chicago filed suit against Glock for facilitating the proliferation of switches that turn pistols into illegal machine guns,” Mayor Brandon Johnson wrote on X Tuesday. 

“We will continue our work to protect Chicagoans from these deadly weapons and the companies that manufacture them,” he added.

The city claims tiny devices that can cost less than $25 each called auto sears or “switches” can be affixed to handguns such as Glocks. These allow Glock handgun users to fire repeatedly with a single trigger pull, The Chicago Sun Times reports.

The city also argues that Glock ignored warnings from lawmakers and gun control advocates in the past about the proliferation of switches. 

“While Chicago has long struggled with an epidemic of gun violence, it is unquestionable that the ease of modification of Glocks and the resulting prevalence of Modified Glocks have made the situation worse,” the city said in its lawsuit.

“Glock also knows it could fix the problem, but has chosen not to, putting profits over public safety and violating the law,” it noted elsewhere.

Critics have come out against Chicago’s lawsuit, claiming it's an opportunity to “duck responsibility” by going after the gun manufacturer instead of the criminals responsible for the city’s rampant murders and crime.

Richard Pearson, executive director of the Illinois State Rifle Association, a gun rights organization, said the city ought to “be going after the criminals — not Glock.” 

He also highlighted that the lawsuit was designed to cost Glock “a lot of money” to defend itself “even though it will get tossed out.”

“They should be charging them and putting them in jail,” Pearson said on the topic of Chicago going after criminals more.

“If a guy crashes going 160 mph down Lake Shore Drive because he modified his car, are you going to sue Ford or GM for that?” he added.