The National Rifle Association on Tuesday drew up a legal challenge to Maryland’s ban on the sale of Glock firearms, a new law that Gov. Wes Moore signed earlier in the day.
Gun rights advocates called the bill an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment.
“With a single stroke of his pen, Gov. Wes Moore has banned one of the most popular handguns in America,” said John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action.
“Instead of going after criminals and enforcing existing laws, he has chosen to disarm law-abiding Marylanders and strip them of their constitutional rights. The NRA is filing an immediate legal challenge to this unconstitutional assault on the Second Amendment and will exhaust every option available to ensure this law is struck down.”
A semi-automatic pistol with a conversion …
more >
The Washington Times reached out to Mr. Moore’s office.
The law prohibits the sale of “machine gun convertible pistols,” which is interpreted as applying widely to Glocks.
Although the bill doesn’t name Glock specifically, it would cover most of their models because of their unique cruciform trigger bar, a design feature most associated with the brand.
An illegal aftermarket device known as a “Glock switch” interferes with the cruciform trigger bar, creating a fully-automatic weapon. While the device is already illegal, the new law makes the gun itself illegal before modifications.
The law goes into effect Jan. 1, 2027. It includes several exemptions allowing the continued use and sale of machine gun convertible pistols, principally by or to law enforcement personnel. Presently, there is no mandated surrender or relinquishment of currently owned firearms. The ban only applies to new sales.
Maryland would be the second state, following California, to pass this kind of law. Two other states have introduced similar bills.
