A federal judge blocked Connecticut from enforcing its new sales and advertising ban on so-called convertible pistols one day before that part of the law was due to take effect. U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley granted preliminary injunctions on September 30 in two related cases, Glock Inc. v. Griffin and National Shooting Sports Foundation Inc. v. Griffin. The court's operative order bars the named state prosecutors from enforcing the challenged provision while the lawsuits continue.

The provision now on hold

Public Act 26-41, enacted as House Bill 5043 on May 26, defines a convertible pistol as a semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be converted into a machine gun by installing a pistol converter, using a hand or common household tool. The definition excludes hammer-fired semiautomatic pistols. It also excludes pistols whose frames have a molded tab or similar material shielding the trigger bar, unless that material can be readily removed.

The enjoined provision applies to convertible pistols manufactured on or after October 1, 2026. It would make it a Class D felony for a person or business to knowingly import such a pistol into Connecticut, or knowingly advertise, sell, offer, or expose one for sale there. The order does not erase Public Act 26-41, decide the lawsuits permanently, or address every provision in the act. It preserves the pre-enforcement position while the court develops a fuller record.