See you in court: California Gov. Newsom bans America’s most popular pistol

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1127 into law on Friday, effectively banning the sale or transfer of new Glock pistols and similar handguns that can be modified into automatic weapons.

The law, authored by Democrats, prohibits commercial sales of what it defines as “semiautomatic machinegun-convertible pistols.”

It targets semi-automatic handguns with a “cruciform trigger bar” design, which is a mechanism used in Glock models and their clones that Democrat lawmakers say allows illegal “Glock switches” to transform them into fully automatic firearms.

While the bill does not name Glock directly, it removes these models from California’s approved handgun roster. This means that, starting July 1, 2026, dealers will no longer be able to sell new Glocks or similar models unless they are redesigned to prevent automatic conversion.

“We’ll see you in court,” the NRA wrote. It’s likely that a preliminary injunction could pause the ban before July 2026.

Dealers expect a buying surge before the ban takes effect as Californians rush to purchase Glocks before the window closes. After that, the guns will only circulate through private-party sales, likely driving up prices and creating a thriving secondary market.

The measure does not affect current owners or private transfers, and law enforcement possession remains exempt.

Existing Glocks already listed on the state’s handgun roster are mostly older Generation 3 versions and will be phased out over the next year. Manufacturers have until mid-2026 to modify their designs and seek re-certification under California’s roster standards, which also require features such as loaded chamber indicators and magazine disconnects.

Newsom signed AB 1127 on Oct. 10, alongside two other firearm-related bills. His office said the move responds to a rise in gun crimes involving converted pistols.

Gun rights groups condemned the measure as a backdoor ban on one of the most common and widely owned handguns in the United States. Glock pistols are owned by millions of Americans, including many law enforcement officers and former officials. Critics argue the law penalizes legal gun owners and manufacturers for illegal modifications already outlawed under federal law.

According to ATF firearm manufacturing and export reports, Glock produced over 1.2 million pistols in the US alone, far outpacing competitors like Smith & Wesson (around 800,000) and Sig Sauer (around 600,000). Glock’s total US sales have consistently topped charts for decades, with estimates from sources like the National Shooting Sports Foundation showing they account for 25-30% of all handgun sales annually.

As of Oct. 13, multiple lawsuits have been filed in federal court challenging AB 1127 on constitutional grounds. A coalition including the National Rifle Association, Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Poway Weapons & Gear, and individual plaintiffs filed Jaymes v. Bonta in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. The suit argues the law violates the Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision, which protects commonly owned firearms from bans based on subjective criteria.

A separate suit from the Second Amendment Foundation echoes those claims and highlights the impact on Californians’ ability to obtain widely used self-defense firearms. Early motions for injunctions are expected soon, and experts predict a preliminary court ruling could determine whether the law is paused before taking effect next summer.

Similar Glock-ban legislation has been introduced in New York.