Banned Glock handgun sneaks back into California after controversial loophole

California’s new crackdown on Glock pistols has hit an unusual snag.

A new Glock model has appeared on the state’s approved handgun roster just three months after lawmakers shut down sales of new Glock pistols.

The Glock 43X CA was added to the California Department of Justice roster on Sept. 29. The move came without a public announcement from Glock, putting the state’s own handgun list in the spotlight instead.

Assembly Bill 1127 took effect July 1 and barred retailers from selling new Glock pistols. Authorities had targeted Glock handguns and similar designs because they said the guns could be readily converted into fully automatic machine guns under state law with a small device known as a “Glock switch.”

Now a new version has cleared the state’s approval process.

The 43X CA is a California version of a compact Glock design that has been sold in other states since 2019. The model had never previously been available in California.

Glock has not released details about the new pistol. The DOJ listing says it is a 9mm handgun with a 3.41-inch barrel, a 10-round capacity and a steel-and-polymer frame

It also has the safety features California requires. Retailers say the handgun includes a loaded chamber indicator and a mechanism that engages a safety when the magazine is removed.

Turners Outdoorsman had already started accepting pre-orders by Oct. 1. The retailer listed the pistol for $600, while warning that the price and specifications could change as more information becomes available. First shipments are expected in December.

“This firearm has been added to the California Handgun Roster, and we currently anticipate receiving our first shipments by December,” the retailer said. “More information and specifications are coming in the next two weeks.”

The timing comes as the state’s Glock restrictions face a federal challenge.

The US Department of Justice has sued California over AB 1127, arguing that the law requiring the Glock redesign violates the Second Amendment.

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