Maryland and the City of Baltimore have sued Glock Inc., seeking to hold the gun company liable for the proliferation of devices popularly known as “Glock switches” that illegally convert its semi-automatic handguns into automatic weapons.

The lawsuit filed by Baltimore and Maryland officials demands that Glock be banned from selling pistols in the state and be ordered "to implement reasonable safety measures."

The lawsuit filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court is intended to help reduce gun violence on the streets, and is the first test of Maryland's Gun Industry Accountability Act adopted last year. Authorities said owners of Glock semiautomatic pistols can easily install "auto sears,

The Maryland Attorney General and mayor of Baltimore City filed a lawsuit against Glock, Inc. for continuing to sell handguns that can be converted into machine guns.

Baltimore is suing Glock over design features that allow its handguns to be easily modified to become fully automatic weapons.

It’s referred to as a “Glock switch,” which can turn a handgun with a 15-round magazine into much, much more. “A dime-sized device that turns a handgun [into] a weapon capable of firing 1,200 rounds per minute,

Maryland and Baltimore officials announced a lawsuit that alleges Glock makes and sells guns that are easily turned into illegal machine guns.

Maryland and Baltimore officials are taking on one of the biggest names in the firearms industry, filing a lawsuit against Glock, Inc. over the ease with which its pistols can be turned into illegal machine guns,