SACRAMENTO, CA – Legislation aimed at restricting the sale of certain semi-automatic handguns capable of easy conversion into automatic weapons has advanced in the California State Assembly and is now headed to the State Senate.
Authored by Assemblymembers Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) and Catherine Stefani (D-San Francisco), Assembly Bill (AB) 1127 seeks to prohibit the sale of specific firearms designed in a manner that allows for simple modification using illegal devices known as “switches.” The bill’s proponents frame it as a necessary step to address gun violence and hold the firearm industry accountable.
These “switches” are small attachments that can alter a semi-automatic pistol to fire automatically at a high rate of speed, such as 1,200 rounds per minute. They are already illegal under federal and California law.
However, according to information provided, these devices remain accessible, being described as cheap, easily made at home with a 3D printer, and installable in minutes with a screwdriver.
The firearm industry, despite allegedly being aware of this vulnerability for decades, has not adjusted designs to prevent such modifications, according to proponents of the bill.
AB 1127 specifically targets semi-automatic handguns whose designs allow this easy conversion, effectively encouraging manufacturers to modify their products if they wish to continue selling them in California.
Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel described the legislation as “commonsense” and stated that it “will ensure that the gun industry is held accountable and that we are doing everything possible to protect our communities from mass shootings.”
Gabriel added in a separate statement, “AB 1127 is a common-sense bill to hold the firearm industry accountable for their failure to prevent conversion of their guns to dangerous automatic weapons.” He reiterated that the industry has “known for decades about a vulnerability in some designs rendering them readily convertible into automatic weapons.”
Assemblymember Catherine Stefani characterized gun violence as an “epidemic.” She expressed concern that manufacturers are allowed to “look the other way while their firearms are turned into illegal machine guns.”
Stefani voiced pride in joining Assemblymember Gabriel in taking action “to close this dangerous loophole and send a clear message: if gun makers refuse to address dangerous loopholes in their designs, California will act.”
Advocates from gun violence prevention groups have voiced strong support for AB 1127. Pedro Ventura, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action in California, asserted, “No one needs a pistol that can be turned into a machine gun.”
Ventura acknowledged that “Banning Glock switches was a good start, but the threat has grown. These devices are easier to get and deadlier than ever.” He sees AB 1127 as a necessary step, stating it “steps up by holding gun makers accountable.”
He summarized the bill’s intent from this perspective: “If they won’t modify the design, they can’t sell the gun. It’s that simple.” Ventura expressed gratitude to Assemblymember Gabriel for his leadership and urged the Senate to pass the bill.
Landon Block, a volunteer with Students Demand Action from San Diego, highlighted the pervasive nature of gun violence, noting its presence “at school, in our communities, and even all over social media.”
Block views the Assembly’s vote as “a big step toward fixing a serious gap in California’s gun laws.” He emphasized that “Glock switches turn certain pistols into machine guns, and they’re way too easy to get, despite California’s ban.”
According to Block, AB 1127 “makes it clear that dealers cannot sell pistols that can be easily converted into DIY machine guns in the state of California.” He called upon the Senate to follow the Assembly’s lead and pass the bill into law.
Krystal Lopilato, the director for public policy for Everytown for Gun Safety, argued at a committee hearing that manufacturers of these easily convertible pistols “should act responsibly and change their design, and they shouldn’t be allowed to sell in California until they do so.”
Greg Lickenbrock, a senior firearms analyst at Everytown, was quoted describing the ease of conversion: “No novice should be able to convert their pistol into a DIY machine gun with just a 3D printer and a screwdriver within minutes.” This underscores the technical vulnerability the bill aims to address.
Proponents point to incidents like the tragic shooting near the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento in 2022, which left six people dead and a dozen wounded. Law enforcement recovered more than 110 shell casings at the scene of this incident, which involved one of these modified automatic weapons.
They argue that while machine guns are prohibited under California law, the firearms industry’s choices have allowed guns easily convertible into machine guns to remain readily available.
AB 1127 intends to ban the retail sale of such weapons, aiming to prevent them from entering the streets. Proponents also contend the bill will have minimal impact on the overall availability of handguns, noting that “the majority of pistols available for sale in California, including by some of the largest manufacturers like Smith & Wesson, Sig Sauer, Taurus, and others don’t have this problem and would continue to be sold across the state.”
They maintain that if impacted manufacturers modify their designs to eliminate the easy conversion vulnerability, they can resume selling in California, provided they comply with existing laws.
Conversely, gun rights advocates argue that AB 1127 is misdirected and constitutes a significant restriction on legal firearm ownership. Sam Paredes, president of Gun Owners of California, characterized the legislation as unnecessary.
Paredes argues that the bill is superfluous because fully automatic firearms and the devices used to convert semi-automatic ones are already illegal under existing law.
He contended that any firearm could theoretically be converted to fully automatic, suggesting the bill unfairly targets specific designs based on the ease of conversion with specific devices.
