S00744 (Chap. 115): Pistol Converters Now Classified as Rapid-Fire Modification Devices

What the Law Does

Chapter 115 of the Laws of 2025 amends New York Penal Law Article 265 to explicitly include pistol converters within the definition of "rapid-fire modification device"^[1]. Before this amendment, Penal Law 265.00 defined rapid-fire modification devices but did not specifically enumerate pistol converters — devices commonly known as "Glock switches" or auto-sears that convert standard semiautomatic handguns to fire automatically. The new law closes this definitional gap, making possession, sale, and manufacture of pistol converters subject to the same criminal penalties as other rapid-fire modification devices.

The Assembly companion bill A00436 was substituted by S00744, which passed both chambers and was signed by Governor Hochul on April 3, 2025^[2].

Current Status

Signed into law as Chapter 115 of the Laws of 2025. This law is now in effect.

What to Watch

Enforcement will be the key question. Pistol converters are small, inexpensive devices often purchased online or through black-market channels. Federal ATF enforcement of the machine gun provisions of the National Firearms Act already targets these devices, but the state-level classification gives New York prosecutors an independent charging tool under Penal Law Article 265. Watch for the first prosecutions under this expanded definition and whether the law is used in conjunction with existing weapons possession charges.

Pending 2026 Legislation

Two follow-on bills, Assembly Bill A00199 and Senate Bill S00399, were printed in the 2025-2026 New York legislative session and are pending as of May 2026.^[3][4] Both bills would build on Chapter 115 of the Laws of 2025 by further expanding the statutory scope of pistol-converter and convertible-firearm provisions in Penal Law Article 265.

The bills are framed as gap-filling measures: Chapter 115 closed the definitional gap by bringing pistol converters under the existing rapid-fire modification device prohibition, and the 2026 prints are aimed at related conduct that the chapter amendment did not directly address. Possession penalties under PL 265.01-c would not change under either bill in their current form. Neither has passed either chamber as of the date of this article. Watch the bills' status pages for committee action and floor votes during the remainder of the 2025-2026 session.