For many Californians affected by gun violence, the new law represents a long-awaited step toward accountability. Among them is Deborah Grimes, whose son Greg “Najee” Grimes was killed in a 2022 Sacramento nightclub shooting. The gunman used a Glock modified with an illegal switch, firing 11 rounds in seconds — seven of which struck Najee.
“Had he been shot once or twice, he might still be alive,” Grimes said. “That switch turned a handgun into a killing machine.”
Her son’s murder — one of 55 mass shootings in California that year — prompted Grimes to join Moms Demand Action, a national advocacy group pressing for stronger gun safety reforms. She hopes the new law will pressure Glock to alter its design nationwide.
“If Glock changes the design, lives will be saved,” she said.
While victims’ families and Democratic lawmakers hailed AB 1127 as a public-safety victory, Republican legislators criticized it as government overreach. “This bill unfairly targets Glock purchasers and restricts access to one of the most trusted firearms on the market,” GOP members wrote in their official analysis.
The ban only applies to new Glock sales. Californians can still legally buy or sell used Glocks already registered in the state. However, if Glock submits a redesigned model that passes California’s rigorous handgun certification process — first enacted in 2001 — the company could regain access to the state’s lucrative market.
Governor Newsom defended the bill as a “commonsense measure to stop weapons designed for war from being modified for our streets.”
As of now, Glock has not issued a public statement on whether it plans to redesign its flagship handgun.