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The National Shooting Sports Foundation declared Thursday it would challenge Connecticut’s ban on Glock pistols in court.

Democratic Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed HB5043, the legislation targeting so-called “machine gun convertible pistols” into law Wednesday, according to the Connecticut General Assembly’s website. NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel Lawrence Keene accused the governor of failing to address the criminal actions of those who use so-called “Glock switches” in violation of the law in a release announcing the group’s plans.

“This law, and similar laws passed in other states, punishes law-abiding citizens by infringing on their Second Amendment rights to legally obtain the firearms they choose to protect themselves and their families against criminals who, by definition, have no respect for life or law,” Keene said. “Instead of enforcing the law and holding these criminals accountable, Connecticut’s elected officials pander to gun control donors and antigun special interests to scapegoat the industry and ban an entire class of ordinary firearms, which the U.S. Supreme Court’s Heller decision clearly holds violates the U.S. Constitution. Governor Lamont knew this yet didn’t hesitate to trample on the Second Amendment.”

A NSSF spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation the group was lining up potential plaintiffs before filing the lawsuit. The National Rifle Association and Second Amendment Foundation sued Maryland within hours of Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signing a “Glock ban” into law Tuesday, while Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a similar ban in October 2025.

Supporters of the measure claim that so-called “Glock switches” are used to illegally convert Glock pistols into machine guns. NSSF referenced materials, including the RightSideofLegal.org website, which notes that having a machine-gun conversion device can lead to ten years in federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

According to current federal law, owning or making a fully-automatic firearm is illegal unless it is registered or authorized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) under the National Firearms Act of 1934.

Glock pistols are widely recognized for their popularity in the United States, frequently featured in rankings of top-selling firearms by publications such as Guns and Guns and Ammo magazine. According to a 2018 press release issued by the company, the Glock 19X model achieved sales of over 100,000 units within the first six months following its launch.

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Lamont did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.

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