The National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun advocacy groups have initiated legal action against the state of California, challenging its recent legislation that prohibits the sale and transfer of Glock-style firearms with features enabling conversion to fully automatic weapons. The lawsuit asserts that California’s law infringes upon Second Amendment rights, citing U.S. Supreme Court decisions that recognize the right to bear arms. The case was joined by entities such as the Firearms Policy Coalition and the Second Amendment Foundation, along with firearms retailers and individual NRA members.
The ban, enacted under Assembly Bill 1127, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom and targets semiautomatic pistols with cruciform trigger bars, which can be transformed into machineguns with minimal tools. Critics argue that the measure is overly broad, as it excludes hammer-fired and striker-fired pistols without such mechanisms and excludes law enforcement. Proponents, however, highlight the significant rise in converted firearms seized by law enforcement between 2017 and 2021, as reported by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
California’s stance reflects broader national debates over gun control. While the law is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, it has already sparked legal challenges, with the case likely to reach the Supreme Court, following its prior intervention in similar gun law disputes, such as the Hawaii case. The legal battle underscores the tension between gun rights advocates and those advocating stricter gun control measures, reflecting the political divide in the United States.