A fact from Glock switch appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 17 January 2023 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
Did you know... that the Glock switch is a device that can turn a handgun into a machine gun?
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Crime and Criminal Biography, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of crime and criminal biography on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Crime and Criminal BiographyWikipedia:WikiProject Crime and Criminal BiographyTemplate:WikiProject Crime and Criminal BiographyCrime-related
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Engineering, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of engineering on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.EngineeringWikipedia:WikiProject EngineeringTemplate:WikiProject EngineeringEngineering
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Firearms, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of firearms on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.FirearmsWikipedia:WikiProject FirearmsTemplate:WikiProject FirearmsFirearms
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Politics, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of politics on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.PoliticsWikipedia:WikiProject PoliticsTemplate:WikiProject Politicspolitics
This article is within the scope of WikiProject United States, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of topics relating to the United States of America on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the ongoing discussions.
The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.
Overall: I like it. Article squeaks in just over the character minimum, but no other concerns. This is a fairly concise topic that fits the DYK criteria. Recommend use of the first hook. RexSueciae (talk) 18:33, 30 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]
It doesn't seem to be strictly legal for general possession anywhere as far as I can tell. In the vast majority of locales its a moot point though because Glock pistols are not strictly legal for general possession in the first place. Horse Eye's Back (talk) 00:45, 17 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Horse Eye's Back: However, if the article is going to cite US law, perhaps it should also comment on the applicable law in other jurisdictions, too. For example: In New Zealand, one needs to be licensed to possess any firearms, and in addition be endorsed to carry a handgun, such as a Glock pistol. However converting a gun from semi-automatic to fully automatic fire is illegal, so possession of a switching device, as a firearm part, on its own, is probably illegal, whether or not one is licensed to possesses a suitable pistol to fit it to. A general comment about the general (il)legality of possessing automatic handguns in many jurisdictions might be enough. - Cameron Dewe (talk) 01:04, 17 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]
No comment is due outside of the specific context of Glock switchs, unless the source is specifically talking about the legality of Glock switchs in another jurisdiction it would be OR. Horse Eye's Back (talk) 01:53, 17 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I'm not sure there needs to be a global view on this. I'm not aware of (and sincerely doubt there exists) any jurisdiction in the world in which a Glock with a switch installed is not considered legally a machine gun, and thus regulated under whatever laws generally govern machine guns in that jurisdiction. That could easily be covered with a sentence or two, but seems arguably unnecessary to me. There's an additional layer to this where in the United States, the switch itself is federally regulated regardless of whether it is installed in a pistol or not; it is legally a Machine Gun. But this is because in the U.S. any part that is capable of converting a firearm into a machinegun is legally considered a machinegun by itself. That is not something specific to the Glock switch by name, that's just how 26 U.S.C. 5845(b) generally defines *all* machine guns. So again, I don't think that's something that needs to be globalized especially beyond noting the general rule. ⇒SWATJesterShoot Blues, Tell VileRat!01:41, 17 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I like it. Article squeaks in just over the character minimum, but no other concerns. This is a fairly concise topic that fits the DYK criteria. Recommend use of the first hook. RexSueciae (talk) 18:33, 30 December 2022 (UTC)