Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Glock Concealed ‘Dangerous’ Chamber Defect in Certain Pistols

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that gunmaker Glock has knowingly concealed that certain pistols suffer from a dangerous barrel chamber defect that may irreparably damage brass bullet casings or even cause the weapon to explode in a user’s hand when it is discharged.

Get class action lawsuit and class action settlement news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter.

The 33-page defective product lawsuit contends that certain Glock pistols were made with gun barrel chambers that do not surround or support a bullet sufficiently before the weapon is fired. Per the complaint, the so-called “unsupported chamber defect” creates a “significant chance” for the brass casing of a bullet to become permanently damaged, rendering the bullet worthless, or of causing a “blow out” or “kaboom,” when the round explodes or separates and a piece of the casing dislodges.

The filing says that the products at issue include any semi-automatic Glock pistol designed to shoot one of the following calibers:

• 10mm;
• 40 S&W;
• 9mm;
• 45 ACP;
• 45 GAP;
• .380; and
• .357 Sig.

When a round is fired from a Glock pistol with the unsupported chamber defect, the force “exerts unreasonable pressures” on the round in the 6 o’clock position, the case says. According to the suit, extreme pressure caused by the chamber defect can cause significant damage to brass ammo casings that is not always “noticeable to the naked eye or unless the viewer is an expert, e.g., in ballistics or metallurgy.” Sometimes the damage to brass casings is visible as a “bulge” or “smile” at the base of the casing, the filing states.

Importantly, the case says that spent brass casings are “not merely refuse” but have value, as they can be sold or reused. The damage to casings, the suit claims, deprives consumers of reaping the full economic benefit of the brass casings, which can no longer be used for reloaded ammunition once damaged.

“Reloaded ammunition is substantially cheaper as factory ammunition has become increasingly cost prohibitive due to ongoing supply shortages,” the case conveys.

Moreover, the lawsuit alleges that the unsupported chamber defect may cause the Glock pistols to explode or “kaboom” in a shooter’s hand, which occurs when the round or casing “blows up” and a piece of the brass casing separates and essentially turns into a dangerous, unexpected projectile that may “seriously” injure the shooter.

The case mentions a 2015 lawsuit in which a Massachusetts resident alleged he fired a Glock pistol and experienced a “kaboom” and was “violently” spun and thrown to the ground, while shrapnel struck his body and face. 

“In fact, Glock is aware that casings have been irreparably damaged and that individuals have been seriously injured as a result of the unsupported chamber defect, and it is only a matter of time before more individuals are seriously injured or killed,” the suit charges.   

The case claims that Glock has known about the unsupported chamber defect for years, yet failed to take any action to remediate the issue, even though “numerous” private citizens and multiple police departments have sued the company over the apparently defective pistols. Despite the clear and imminent danger because of the defect, Glock has “intentionally” hidden “critical” information, the filing says.

Additionally, the case notes similar allegations made in a lawsuit known as Johnson v. Glock, which survived a motion to dismiss filed by Glock in 2021. In an order on the motion to dismiss, the court held that “[a]ll of these taken together—the specific incidents and lawsuits, the many complaints, and widely-seen online videos—plausibly show that Glock had knowledge of the alleged defect,” per the filing.  

The lawsuit states Glock has “willfully, knowingly, and/or recklessly” used unfair or deceptive business practices by “wrongfully concealing” the unsupported chamber defect for years and representing that the guns were safe and fit for normal use, in violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.  

The Glock class action lawsuit seeks to cover all consumers nationwide who purchased any Glock pistol designed to shoot the following calibers: 10mm; 40 S&W; 9mm; 45 ACP; 45 GAP; .380; and .357 Sig, and former owners who purchased the same.

Want to learn how to start a class action lawsuit? We’ve got you covered.