Governor Gavin Newsom has signed yet another piece of “first-in-the-nation” gun control into law — this time targeting handguns that can allegedly be “easily converted” into fully automatic weapons.
Assembly Bill 1127, authored by Assembly members Jesse Gabriel and Catherine Stefani, bans California gun dealers from selling pistols that can accept illegal “Glock switches” or similar conversion devices, items that are already banned under federal law and carry serious criminal penalties for possession or use.
While gun control groups like Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action are celebrating the new law as a “historic victory,” critics argue it does little to stop violent criminals who already ignore existing laws, and instead further restricts law-abiding gun owners and dealers.
A Solution in Search of a Problem
So-called “Glock switches” — tiny conversion devices that can turn a semi-automatic pistol into a fully automatic weapon are already highly illegal under federal law. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) classifies them as machine guns under the National Firearms Act (NFA). Possession without proper licensing can result in up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In other words, California already had all the laws necessary to prosecute anyone caught with one.
Instead of targeting criminals who illegally import or 3D-print these devices, AB 1127 aims for manufacturers and gun stores, banning sales of entire pistol models that anti-gun lawmakers claim could be “easily converted.”
As usual, the law punishes the legal firearm industry while ignoring the root of the problem: criminal misuse of firearms and failure to enforce existing law.
The Political Victory Everytown Wanted
Everytown for Gun Safety’s president John Feinblatt praised the move, saying it “forces the gun industry to take basic steps to prevent mass carnage.”
Translation: California politicians are once again using emotional talking points and tragic anecdotes to justify restrictions that have no measurable impact on crime.
Moms Demand Action’s leadership echoed the sentiment, claiming the law “puts lives over profits” and “gets DIY machine guns off our streets.” But the firearms targeted by this legislation were already legal, regulated, and sold through background checks — not the illegal machine guns seen in gang-related violence across Los Angeles and Oakland.
As TTAG has covered for years, the state’s “commonsense” laws consistently fail to reduce crime, even as California’s violent crime rate continues to climb — despite being one of the most heavily regulated gun states in the nation.
Selective Enforcement and Misplaced Blame
Lawmakers, such as Assembly member Jesse Gabriel, called AB 1127 a “commonsense” step to “hold the gun industry accountable.” But what’s actually being held accountable?
- Not criminals.
- Not smugglers.
- Not the illegal networks trafficking real machine gun conversion kits into cities.
Instead, this law effectively pressures manufacturers like Glock, SIG Sauer, and Smith & Wesson to redesign pistols that are already in compliance with both federal and state standards — or risk losing access to the California market altogether.
It’s a familiar strategy: regulate firearms out of existence by redefining them as “unsafe” or “easily convertible,” and let bureaucratic interpretation do the rest.
California’s Endless War on Legal Gun Ownership
California already bans “assault weapons,” standard-capacity magazines, pistol braces, and dozens of other firearm components. The state also enforces a handgun roster that eliminates hundreds of modern models from being sold, leaving Californians with outdated, limited options.
Now, with AB 1127, Sacramento politicians are adding another layer to the bureaucracy, claiming victory while everyday citizens lose access to lawful firearms.
As the state celebrates its “first-in-the-nation” legislation, law-abiding gun owners are left wondering:
When will lawmakers start holding criminals accountable instead of gun owners?
TTAG’s Take
AB 1127 is another performative gun control measure wrapped in the language of “safety.” The devices it claims to stop are already illegal, and the criminals who use them will continue to do so. Meanwhile, the firearms industry and law-abiding citizens will once again pay the price for California’s obsession with regulating freedom.
California’s politicians may call this a “historic victory.”
Gun owners know it for what it is — another notch in the state’s long record of punishing the innocent while ignoring the guilty.