Federal Judge Blocks Connecticut's Ban on Glock-Style Pistols Before It Takes Effect

Connecticut's ban on handguns with cruciform trigger bars, the internal part used in Glocks and many other striker-fired pistols, has been stopped in federal court a day before it was set to take effect. Sales of some of the most common carry guns in the state can continue while the case is fought out.

The short version

Concealed Nation reports that U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley granted a preliminary injunction against House Bill 5043 (Public Act 26-41), signed May 26, 2026. The law labeled any handgun that could in theory be converted to fire automatically with an aftermarket device a "convertible pistol" and made its sale and distribution a felony, starting October 1. Glock and industry plaintiffs sued on September 21, arguing the law banned handguns in common use for self-defense.

Because the state conceded the law touched the Second Amendment's plain text, the burden under Bruen fell on Connecticut to show a matching historical tradition. Its lawyers pointed to colonial "proving laws" that required guns to be tested before sale. The judge rejected that, writing that those laws ensured safety before a gun was sold and could not justify banning safe, popular handguns because a criminal might later modify one.

Key points

• Effective date: the injunction was entered September 30, one day before the law's October 1 start.
• What was targeted: handguns with a cruciform trigger bar, the standard linkage in Glock-pattern pistols.
• The state's argument: colonial proving laws plus historical machine-gun limits, which the court found had no logical connection to this ban.
• The contradiction: the court noted the state couldn't explain why a pistol made September 30 was legal but the identical gun made a day later was a felony.
• Harm shown: retailers said their stock of these pistols would run out within weeks and distributor orders had already stopped.

Bottom line

For now, Connecticut gun owners and dealers can keep buying and selling Glock-style pistols. Concealed Nation notes that a preliminary injunction is temporary, so owners and FFLs in the state should keep watching the case as it moves to the merits and a possible appeal.

Summary by Firearm Discounts. Read the full story at Concealed Nation.