HB4471 defines a "convertible pistol" as any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily altered by hand or with common household tools so that it can be converted into a machine gun by the installation or attachment of a switch. The statutory definition specifically excludes hammer-fired semiautomatic pistols. As amended on May 20, 2026 the Act makes it unlawful for any person to manufacture a convertible pistol and unlawful for an Illinois-certified licensee (FFL) to sell, offer to sell, exchange, give, transfer, or deliver one. Purchase, receipt, and possession by an individual owner are not on the prohibited-acts list.

The bill is patterned on the California law that takes effect July 1, 2026, plus comparable statutes already passed in Maryland and Connecticut. The drafting intent, per sponsor Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Orland Park), is to address the proliferation of illegal auto-sear switches commonly referred to as "Glock switches." Chicago Police report recovering roughly 1,300 modified Glocks used in crimes; the bill targets the upstream supply of convertible-pistol hosts rather than the switches themselves, which are already a federal felony under 18 U.S.C. 922(o) and a Class 2 felony under existing Illinois law.

The introduced version of HB4471 imposed Class 2 and Class X felony penalties on the new offenses. The May 20 committee amendment replaced that scheme with civil penalties payable to the Illinois State Police: $10,000 for a first violation, $25,000 for a second. For certified dealers, the Illinois State Police may suspend the dealer license after a first-offense hearing and shall revoke the license after a second offense. There is no felony charge or prison term in the amended bill text for the new offenses HB4471 creates; the regulatory enforcement mechanism is civil monetary penalty plus dealer-license consequence.

A cruciform trigger bar is a single cross-shaped piece of stamped or machined steel that ties the trigger to the striker. It is the defining internal feature of every factory Glock pistol from Gen1 through Gen6 and the new V-series. The cross arms ride against the connector and the firing pin safety on one side and the trigger spring on the other. An auto-sear switch attaches to the rear of the slide and uses that cruciform geometry to hold the trigger bar down through the firing cycle, allowing the pistol to fire repeatedly under a single press.

Segmented trigger bar designs do not provide a continuous surface for a switch to ride against. Sig P320 uses a two-piece trigger bar with a separate disconnector. Smith & Wesson M&P uses a leaf-spring sear bar with a segmented sear linkage. HK VP9 uses a roller-style connector and an articulated trigger bar. None of those designs allow a drop-in switch to function in the same way a Glock-pattern switch does, which is the engineering reason the bill draws the line at the cruciform geometry.

Glock-pattern clones present a closer case. The PSA Dagger and Shadow Systems pistols use trigger bars functionally equivalent to the OEM Glock part. Under HB4471 as drafted, the test is the physical geometry of the trigger bar and whether the pistol can be readily converted with common tools, not the brand. Counsel for any Illinois FFL trying to determine whether a specific clone falls inside or outside the definition should review the trigger bar in hand against the statutory test rather than relying on a brand-based rule of thumb.

The clean answer is that the entire Glock production line meets the HB4471 definition. That includes the G17, G19, G19X, G19 MOS, G26, G34, G43X, G44, G45, G47, G48, G49 and every other model in Generations 3 through 6 and the new V-series. MOS variants (Modular Optic System) do not change the trigger bar geometry and are equally covered. The Glock 44 in .22 LR uses a hybrid design but retains the cruciform layout and is included as written.

Glock-pattern aftermarket pistols that ship with functionally identical trigger bars are at risk of being swept in. PSA Dagger (Compact, Full, Micro), Shadow Systems pistols (MR920, XR920, DR920, CR920), and the Ruger RXM (which is built to accept Glock 19-pattern magazines and uses Glock-compatible fire-control internals) are the most common. Aftermarket trigger bars sold for Glock retrofit, such as those from Apex Tactical and Overwatch Precision, are themselves Glock-cruciform parts and are included in scope; the bill does not contain a parts carve-out for standalone trigger bars sold for replacement.

The bill text excludes hammer-fired pistols by name, which means Beretta 92 series (including 92X, 92FS, 92G Elite LTT), CZ-75 family (P-09, Shadow 2, TS3), Sig P226 and P229 series, FN High Power, and every 1911 and 2011 variant fall outside the definition regardless of any other consideration. Hammer-fired is the brightest line in the statute.

Every major striker-fired manufacturer other than Glock uses a segmented or non-cruciform trigger bar and falls outside HB4471. The clean list, by brand, of striker-fired duty pistols that remain legal to sell, transfer, and import into Illinois if the bill passes: Sig Sauer P320 family (full, compact, X-Carry, XFive Legion, Spectre Comp, AXG Pro), Sig Sauer P365 family (P365, P365X, P365 XL, P365 X-Macro, P365 Fuse), Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 (full, compact, Performance Center), Smith & Wesson M&P 5.7, Springfield Armory Hellcat and Hellcat Pro, Springfield Echelon, Springfield XD and XD-M Elite, HK VP9 (full, OR, SK, VP9SK), Walther PDP (full, compact, F-Series, Match), FN 509 (Tactical, LS Edge, CC Edge), FN Reflex, Canik METE SFT and TP9, CZ P-10 (S, C, F), Beretta APX A1, and Stoeger STR-9.

The category most affected is the value-tier striker-fired market that Glock dominates. For an Illinois buyer who would have bought a $549 Glock 19 Gen5, the closest one-for-one replacements at the same price point are the Sig P320 Compact ($599-$649), Smith & Wesson M&P 9 M2.0 Compact ($599), and Springfield Echelon 4.0F ($679). All three carry similar capacity, similar dimensions, and factory optic cuts that match the Glock MOS feature set.

Illinois is the fourth state to advance a cruciform-trigger ban. California AB 1127 was signed in 2025 and takes effect July 1, 2026; it uses the same definitional approach and bans new sales of pistols with the design while grandfathering existing owners. Maryland and Connecticut passed comparable statutes earlier in 2026. The pattern is consistent: target the underlying pistol design rather than the switches themselves, on the theory that supply restriction on convertible hosts will compress the switch-conversion market downstream.

The legal posture is also consistent. Each statute is expected to face a Second Amendment challenge under Bruen's text-and-history standard. The NRA has filed suit in California; similar litigation is anticipated in Maryland and Connecticut. Plaintiffs will argue that Glocks are in "common use" for lawful purposes and that banning their sale is therefore presumptively unconstitutional. The state defendants will argue that the ban targets a specific dangerous feature (the convertibility geometry) rather than the firearm class as a whole, distinguishing the law from Bruen-vulnerable full-platform bans.

For Illinois buyers, the practical effect is the same whether HB4471 passes or is enjoined: the broader regulatory direction is unfavorable to Glock-pattern pistols in blue-state markets. Building a non-Glock striker-fired daily-carry around a Sig P320 or M&P M2.0 is a hedge against further legislative action regardless of how HB4471 specifically resolves.

For the broader state-level regulatory picture, see our coverage of the Virginia assault weapons ban and the pre-July 1 Virginia buying guide. The federal regulatory direction is moving in the opposite direction; see the ATF's six proposed rules from May 2026 for the federal counterweight.

For deeper context on the non-cruciform alternatives recommended above, see the S&W M&P 9 M2.0 Performance Center coverage for the comped M&P duty option, the Springfield Echelon Alpha 4.0C coverage for the modular full-size duty option, and the Sig P365 Flux review for the carry-format alternative. The Ruger RXM and PSA Dagger reviews remain useful for Glock-pattern comparison, but both pistols use Glock-compatible internals and fall in the at-risk bucket under HB4471 rather than the safe one. Use our handgun builder to configure any of these platforms with optics, lights, and carry accessories side-by-side.

HB4471 is the highest-impact state-level handgun bill of the 2026 cycle for Illinois residents. As written, it terminates new Glock sales in Illinois without affecting existing ownership, and it leaves the rest of the striker-fired market untouched. The bill has cleared committee but has not passed the full House, the Senate, or the governor's desk; the timeline for any final enactment is uncertain.

The practical posture for Illinois buyers depends on whether you already own a Glock and whether you want one. Current Glock owners face no immediate change. Prospective buyers can either complete a Glock 4473 now while the bill moves through the legislature, with the understanding that the future of new Glock sales in Illinois is genuinely in question, or shift their next pistol purchase to a Sig P320, S&W M&P, Springfield Hellcat, Walther PDP, or HK VP9 and remove the regulatory exposure entirely. For concealed carry, the Sig P365 XL and Springfield Hellcat Pro are the closest matches to a Glock 43X or 48 in footprint and capacity, both outside HB4471.