Former California senator and presidential candidate Kamala Harris' ownership of a Glock pistol has raised questions after it was revealed that California law prohibits the sale of most Glock models — a law she once supported.
California's "Unsafe Handgun Act," championed by Harris during her tenure as the state's attorney general, has again drawn attention following her recent remarks on "60 Minutes."
During the interview, Harris disclosed that she owns a Glock pistol and has fired it at a shooting range. However, under California law, many Glock models are labeled as "unsafe handguns" and are therefore barred from sale in the state.
The Unsafe Handgun Act restricts the importation and sale of firearms that do not meet stringent safety requirements. These requirements include firing tests, drop tests, and specific safety features such as chamber load indicators and magazine disconnect mechanisms. Any handgun that fails to meet these standards is banned from sale within the state, which applies to most Glock models currently on the market.
Glocks are among the most popular firearms worldwide and have undergone numerous upgrades since their introduction to the U.S. in the 1980s. The law only allows California residents to purchase Glock Generation 3 models, which were "grandfathered in" when the law was enacted. However, the sale of later generations — such as Generation 4 and 5 — is prohibited, as these models do not comply with the state's safety requirements.
Attorney Kostas Moros explained that California considers these newer Glock models "unsafe" due to the absence of features like microstamping, which Kamala Harris implemented in 2013. Microstamping, a controversial requirement, mandates that handguns imprint microscopic identifying information onto each fired cartridge, a feature many firearm manufacturers, including Glock, have not adopted.
Despite this, Harris' Glock ownership may be legal due to an exemption for law enforcement personnel. As the former attorney general of California and the former district attorney of San Francisco, Harris qualifies for this exemption, which permits her to own a Glock.
However, during the interview, Harris did not specify which Glock model she owned, only confirming that she had fired it at a range.
The website for California's roster of approved handguns states, "As of January 1, 2001, no handgun may be manufactured within California, imported into California for sale, lent, given, kept for sale, or offered/exposed for sale unless that handgun model has passed firing, safety, and drop tests and is certified for sale in California by the Department of Justice."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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