Glock Lawsuit: Three Kinds of Cases, No Settlement Yet
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“Glock lawsuit” covers three very different fights. Owners sue over the pistols’ chamber design. Cities and states sue over “Glock switches.” And Glock itself sues states over new pistol bans — on September 30, 2026 a federal judge blocked Connecticut’s ban. As of October 2026 there is no Glock settlement, no fund and no claim form.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuits Say
The owner cases (glock class action). The lawsuits allege that many Glock pistols have an “unsupported chamber” that leaves the bottom of the cartridge case exposed at the 6 o’clock position. Per the complaints, this can leave a “bulge” or “smile” on the brass, ruin cases for reloading, and may cause a “kaboom” where the case blows out. The economic theory is that buyers overpaid for a defective gun. Glock denies the claims and says the chamber design does not make the pistols unreasonably dangerous.
The government cases (glock switch lawsuit). A “switch” or auto sear is a small illegal device that makes a Glock fire fully automatic. Cities and states allege Glock knew its design was easy to convert and marketed in ways that encouraged it. Philadelphia’s suit cites guns “capable of firing 1,200 rounds per minute.” Glock disputes these suits; they are brought by governments, not by gun owners.
Case Details
Johnson v. Glock, Inc., No. 3:20-cv-08807-WHO, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, before Judge William H. Orrick. Filed in 2020 by a former law enforcement officer; a class of California buyers has been certified and notified. Official site: GlockClassAction.com, 1-888-894-5122.
Holmes v. Glock, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-02987, filed in Illinois on March 17, 2026 under the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act. It seeks a nationwide class. An earlier Arizona case, Melian v. Glock (No. 2:19cv4872, filed August 1, 2019), made the same chamber allegation.
Switch suits: New Jersey (Essex County Superior Court, No. ESX-C-000286-24), Minnesota, Chicago (Cook County), Seattle and Philadelphia (filed March 13, 2026).
Glock as plaintiff: Glock, Inc. v. Griffin, No. 3:26-cv-01525, District of Connecticut, Judge Kari A. Dooley.
Status as of October 2026
Holmes (nationwide owners): a proposed class action. No class has been certified and nothing is payable.
Switch suits: courts let the New Jersey case proceed on October 14, 2025, and judges in Minnesota and Cook County let those cases proceed in 2025. These seek penalties, injunctions and abatement funds for governments — not payments to gun owners.
Connecticut: Glock sued on September 21, 2026 to stop House Bill 5043, which was set to take effect October 1, 2026. On September 30, 2026 Judge Dooley granted a preliminary injunction, finding the statute “presumptively unconstitutional” on the record so far. That is an early ruling, not a final judgment.
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Are You Part of a Glock Class Action?
California buyers. You are in the Johnson class if you are an individual (not a business or agency) who bought a Glock pistol in California chambered in 10mm, 40 S&W, 9mm, 45 ACP, 45 GAP, .380 or .357 Sig. If you did not opt out by April 20, 2026, you are in — there is nothing to sign up for.
Everyone else. Holmes proposes a nationwide class of current and former owners of the same calibers. Until a court certifies it, there is no class to join.
Injured in a “kaboom”? Johnson covers overpayment only, “not personal injury or property damage.” An injury claim is a separate, individual case.
Is There Money? Not Yet
The switch suits cannot pay you. Any money there goes to the state or city, for example Philadelphia’s requested abatement fund. The Connecticut case is about whether a sales ban is constitutional and involves no money for owners.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 5,246 federal civil cases of this typeclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 20.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 37% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 14.3% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 37% and 51.3%.
- 4.4% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 238 reached a trial (0.4%), after a median of 26.4 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 9.2 months.
- Only 92 of them (1.8%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $297,500.
These are base rates for this type of case — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Glock Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
2020 — Johnson v. Glock Filed
A former law enforcement officer sues in federal court in California over the chamber design. In 2021 Judge Orrick lets the third amended complaint proceed.
- 2
October 2025 — Switch Suit Survives, Models Change
On October 14, 2025 a New Jersey judge denies Glock’s motion to dismiss the state’s switch suit. Glock confirms it is discontinuing many models for new “V” versions that do not accept switches.
- 3
February 2, 2026 — Class Notice in California
Notice goes out to California buyers in Johnson. The exclusion deadline was April 20, 2026.
- 4
March 2026 — Philadelphia and Holmes
Philadelphia and its district attorney sue over switches on March 13, 2026. Holmes v. Glock, seeking a nationwide owner class, is filed March 17, 2026.
- 5
September 30, 2026 — Connecticut Ban Blocked
Judge Kari A. Dooley grants Glock and the NSSF a preliminary injunction against Connecticut’s “convertible pistol” ban one day before it was to take effect.
- 6
October 2026 — No Settlement Anywhere
All owner and government cases remain pending as of October 2026. No fund, administrator claim form or payment exists.
Three Glock Lawsuit Traps
A popular gun, a certified class and a lot of headlines make an easy script for imposters:
“Claim your Glock settlement payment”
There is no settlement, so there is no claim form. A site asking for your gun’s serial number, your ID or a fee to “secure” a payment is collecting data, not filing anything. The only official Johnson site is GlockClassAction.com.
“Turn in your gun or switch for cash”
The switch suits pay governments, not owners, and no court has ordered a Glock buyback. Possessing a switch is a federal crime — do not answer messages that ask whether you own one.
“Sign up to join the nationwide Glock class action”
The Holmes class has not been certified, and you never sign up to be in one. Ads asking you to register are usually lawyer lead forms or retainers — read before you sign.
Glock Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Is there a Glock lawsuit settlement?
No. As of October 2026 no Glock case has settled. There is no fund, no claim form and no deadline to file a claim.
What is the Glock class action about?
The owner cases allege that the chamber in many Glock pistols does not fully support the cartridge, which can bulge or rupture the brass. They claim buyers overpaid. Glock denies the defect claims.
What is the Glock switch lawsuit?
Several governments — including New Jersey, Minnesota, Chicago, Seattle and Philadelphia — sued Glock, alleging its pistols are too easy to convert into illegal machine guns with a switch. Glock disputes them. These suits seek penalties and abatement for the governments, not payments to owners.
I bought a Glock in California. Am I in the class?
If you are an individual who bought one in 10mm, 40 S&W, 9mm, 45 ACP, 45 GAP, .380 or .357 Sig in California, and you did not opt out by April 20, 2026, yes. You do not need to do anything now.
I bought my Glock outside California. Can I join?
Not yet. Holmes v. Glock asks for a nationwide class, but no court has certified it. If one is certified or a settlement is reached, notice would be sent out with instructions.
Did a judge rule Glock pistols defective?
No. Class certification means the claims can be tried together, not that they are true. The court notice says the plaintiff “will have to prove their legal claims at a trial.”
What happened with the Connecticut Glock ban?
Glock sued on September 21, 2026. On September 30, 2026 Judge Kari A. Dooley preliminarily blocked the ban on “convertible pistols,” finding it likely unconstitutional. The case continues.
Does my Glock need to be recalled or turned in?
No court has ordered a recall or turn-in in these cases. Glock has replaced many models with new “V” versions that do not accept switches. Keep your purchase record in case a settlement is ever reached. To see settlements open for claims right now, check open class action settlements.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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