The City of Seattle filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the manufacturer of one of the world’s most popular handguns and three local gun shops that sell Glock pistols and accessories, alleging the defendants are creating a public nuisance by marketing, selling and glorifying guns that can easily be converted into illegal automatic weapons that have been increasingly used to commit crimes.

At the heart of the lawsuit are Glock switches, also known as auto sears, which are dime-sized pieces of metal or plastic that can be attached to the back of a Glock handgun without the need for specialized tools or skills. The switches are cheap and can easily be bought online or made with a 3D printer.

The switches interfere with a handgun’s firing pin, converting it into a “machine gun” that can spray a

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