Illinois 2026: Convertible Pistol Ban Bills Advancing in Both Chambers

What the Bills Would Do

Three bills targeting convertible pistols are moving through the 104th General Assembly in parallel:

HB4471 — Criminal Code: Convertible Pistols: The most advanced House bill, which had House Committee Amendment No. 1 referred to the Rules Committee on March 17, 2026^[1]. The committee amendment process indicates active negotiation over the bill's scope and definitions.

SB2801 — Criminal Code: Convertible Pistols: The lead Senate vehicle, which had Senate Committee Amendment No. 2 referred to Assignments on March 17, 2026^[2]. The fact that this bill is on its second amendment indicates substantial committee-level work.

SB2652 — Criminal Code: Convertible Pistols: A companion Senate bill with a committee deadline of March 27, 2026^[3].

All three bills aim to criminalize the manufacture, sale, possession, or use of convertible pistols — handguns that can be readily converted from semiautomatic to fully automatic operation, typically through the installation of a machine gun conversion device (commonly called a "Glock switch" or auto-sear). These devices have become a significant law enforcement concern nationwide, with the ATF reporting a dramatic increase in seizures.

Current Status

HB4471 and SB2801 are the lead vehicles, both receiving active amendments as of March 17, 2026. SB2652 serves as a backstop with a hard committee deadline of March 27. The simultaneous advancement in both chambers suggests legislative leadership has prioritized this issue.

What to Watch

The critical legal question is how "convertible pistol" is defined. A narrow definition targeting purpose-built convertible firearms has limited practical impact because few such firearms exist. A broad definition capturing any pistol physically capable of accepting a conversion device could theoretically encompass most striker-fired handguns on the market. The amendment process on both HB4471 and SB2801 is where this definitional battle is playing out. Federal law already prohibits machine gun conversion devices (26 U.S.C. 5845), so the state law would create an additional state-level offense and potentially allow state prosecutors to bring charges independent of federal action.