Early this morning, State Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford) supported and voted for the final passage of legislation through the State Senate seeking to restrict access to convertible pistols in Connecticut, semi-automatic handguns that can be modified for automatic fire using a device the size of a human finger, as part of an effort to improve firearm safety in the state.

The bill was introduced this year by Governor Ned Lamont in the pursuit of safety.

“When we hear something’s wrong, we need to take action, and that’s readily apparent here,” said Sen. Slap, who was a co-sponsor of the bill. “Simple, cheap pieces can be bought online and allow a pistol to fire automatically. Preventing their use is a simple, common-sense way for our state to retain the firearm safety our state is known for, as we’ve seen the horrific consequences of gun violence and continue to say ‘never again’ in our state.”

“We are deeply grateful to Senator Slap for his leadership in prioritizing our families’ safety over gun industry profits. After Sandy Hook, we made a promise to always lead on gun violence prevention and prevent future tragedies; by helping pass this bill, Senator Slap is helping us keep that promise,” said Brittany Schnurr, a West Hartford volunteer with the Connecticut chapter of Moms Demand Action. “This legislation is a critical step in ending the spread of ‘DIY’ machine guns and making every Connecticut neighborhood safer.”

Under House Bill 5043, as of October 1, 2026, the knowing import, advertising, selling or offering for sale of any convertible pistol will become a class D felony. That provision does not apply to retail sale or lawful transfer of a convertible pistol by someone who is not a licensed gun dealer to another person who is not a licensed gun dealer.

Under the bill, a “convertible pistol” is defined as any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar, a link between the trigger and firing pin of a pistol, that can be modified by hand or with a common household tool to be converted into a machine gun with installation or attachment of a pistol converter. It would make any pistol equipped with a device or instrument aiding rapid fire to be considered a machine gun; hammer-fired semi-auto pistols and pistols with cruciform trigger bars preventing modification would not be considered convertible pistols.

It would also be a class D felony to sell, offer or otherwise transfer a “rate of fire enhancement,” in addition to already-illegal bump stocks, that allow for rapid fire of a semi-automatic firearm.

This bill allows people who own convertible pistols to keep those firearms. These models of firearm are already illegal in states including California; firearms manufacturers like Glock will simply be required to sell alternative models they already produce for other states.

Additional advances the law makes include clarifying that parts that can be turned into the lower receiver of a firearm, referred to as unfinished frames or unfinished lower receivers, cannot be advertised or sold in Connecticut and allowing the partial refunding of a handgun permit fee if authorities don’t complete duties within established timeframes.

Pistol conversion materials like “Glock switches” can be purchased online for relatively low costs, with their installation turning a firearm from a semi-automatic to an automatic.

Groups including Moms Demand Action, the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, CT Against Gun Violence, the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Everytown for Gun Safety and the Newtown Action Alliance testified in support of the bill.

West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor testified in support of the legislation, noting the impact of automatic gunfire in local communities. “HB 5043 takes a thoughtful and targeted approach by addressing the underlying design vulnerability that allows certain pistols to be easily converted,” she said, noting the step “places responsibility where it belongs – on preventing the design flaw that enables these dangerous modifications in the first place.”

The Connecticut Police Chiefs Association testified that its members have seen modified firearms increasingly throughout Connecticut in recent years, with concerns that more ammunition being fired may correlate to more risk to the public.

DESPP Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins testified these firearms can “dramatically increase the potential for mass casualty incidents” and “complicate the ability of law enforcement to respond safely and effectively.”

The Newtown Action Alliance testified that the issue is connected to the firearms used in the Sandy Hook tragedy in December 2012, as firearm manufacturers modify weapon designs in ways circumventing existing legal definitions while maintaining lethal capabilities.

Connecticut has some of the strongest gun safety laws in the United States. In 2024, it had the sixth-lowest gun death rate nationally and received an A rating from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Passing the Senate Wednesday morning by a 22-11 tally, the bill previously passed the House on April 22 by an 86-64 vote and the Judiciary Committee by a 24-12 vote on March 24. With its passage, the bill now heads to Governor Lamont’s desk to be signed into law.