Maryland Bans Future Sales of Glocks and Glock-Style Pistols

Overview

• Governor Wes Moore signed the bill into law on Tuesday, setting a statewide ban on the sale, transfer, and manufacture of Glocks and Glock-style pistols that is slated to take effect January 1, 2027.
• The law reportedly allows current legal owners to keep their pistols but bars them from selling or transferring those firearms to others.
• Pro-Second Amendment groups led by the NRA, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the Firearms Policy Coalition filed a federal complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland within hours of the signing and argue the ban is unconstitutional because Glocks are commonly owned arms.
• Supporters say the measure targets so-called "Glock switches" and other conversion parts that can make a pistol fire automatically, while critics say those conversion devices are already illegal under federal law and do not justify banning the underlying widely owned handgun.
• The Maryland move follows a similar California law and recent state actions elsewhere, and the pending litigation will determine whether courts enjoin enforcement and create precedent for other state-level bans.