September 21, 2026

NSSF Challenges Connecticut’s Unconstitutional Ban on Popular Striker-Fired Handguns

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF^®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, filed a lawsuit challenging Connecticut’s ban on popular cruciform-trigger handguns. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed H.B. 5043 prohibiting the sale of these firearms in the state earlier this year. NSSF promised at the time of the signing that it would seek legal action. The misguided law unconstitutionally infringes on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Connecticut residents by prohibiting an entire class of lawfully made and sold handguns.

Connecticut’s law targeting “convertible pistols” infringes on the right of citizens to purchase the most-popular-selling handguns that are used for self-defense and renowned for their reliability. Connecticut is unconstitutionally infringing on Second Amendment rights while ignoring criminals who violate federal and state law to illegally modify these handguns to attach a “machinegun conversion device,” or MCD, which has long been illegal to both possess or to attach to a firearm outside of strict federal licensing. The firearm industry warns gun owners against illegal modifications that override intentional semiautomatic firearm engineering designs. Illegally modifying a firearm to enable automatic fire is a federal crime.

“To borrow on a line from James Carville, whom Democrats revere, ‘it’s the criminal, stupid,’” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF’s Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “This law, and similar laws passed in other states, punishes law-abiding citizens by infringing on their Second Amendment rights to legally obtain the firearms they choose to protect themselves and their families against criminals who, by definition, have no respect for life or law. Instead of enforcing the law and holding these criminals accountable, Connecticut’s elected officials pander to gun control donors and antigun special interests to scapegoat the industry and ban an entire class of ordinary firearms, which the U.S. Supreme Court’s Heller decision clearly holds violates the U.S. Constitution. Governor Lamont knew this yet didn’t hesitate to trample on the Second Amendment.”

Under Connecticut’s H.B. 5043, the ban includes pistols with a cruciform trigger bar that Connecticut lawmakers say can be readily converted by replacing the slide backplate with an illegal MCD. The proposed ban is effective on Oct. 1, 2026. NSSF has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction (PI) to stop enforcement of the law and has requested, in the alternative, for the court to impose a temporary restraining order staying HB5043’s effectiveness pending the resolution of the PI motion.

NSSF warns gun owners to stay on the “Right Side of Legal^TM” when making improvements or customizing firearms. The Firearm Industry Trade Association warns that modifying a firearm by adding an illegal device that overrides the original, intended function or design to render a semiautomatic firearm into an automatic firearm is a felony. That includes importing, possessing, making or selling an MCD. It’s a violation of the National Firearms Act (NFA) and carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years and up to $250,000 in fines.



About NSSF

NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.

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