Alabama has banned gun conversion devices that have the ability to convert semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons.
The conversion devices, sometimes referred to as Glock switches, are already banned under federal law, but state and local law enforcement in Alabama have warned that prosecuting crimes where Glock switches are used is difficult without local statutes in place. These “switches” can be installed on handguns to make them capable of acting like machine guns, automatically firing more than one shot with only a single pull of the trigger.
Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL) pushed for the legislation to be crafted in a bipartisan manner during her State of the State address last month. On Wednesday, she elaborated upon why she felt the move was necessary.
“While there is a federal ban on these gun conversion devices, we needed a way to empower our own law enforcement here in Alabama to get these illegal and extremely dangerous Glock switches off our streets. I am proud to support law enforcement and work to combat crime by putting my signature on SB 116,” Ivey said in a statement on Wednesday.
The legislation passed the Alabama Senate on Tuesday in a 24-2 vote, and the Alabama House passed the bill earlier this month.
The new law will prohibit people from having a part or parts intended to convert a pistol into an automatic weapon.
Before Ivey’s bill signing, Glock switches were banned in 23 states, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Alabama joined other Republican-led states, including Florida and South Carolina, in banning these devices.
For many years, Alabama had some of the highest rates of gun violence in the country. In 2022, there were 1,278 gun-related deaths in the state, which was the fourth-highest gun death rate in the country, behind Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico.
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Birmingham, one of the state’s largest cities, saw 151 homicides last year, including four deaths caused by a shooting outside of a nightclub. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin, a Democrat, has lobbied the state government to pass a ban on the conversion devices.
The measure is set to take effect immediately.