The Maryland General Assembly is on track to ban the sale or transfer of “machine gun convertible pistols” after the House of Delegates gave initial approval to the bill on Tuesday.
SB0334/HB0577 defines a machine gun convertible pistol as a semiautomatic handgun with a cruciform trigger bar that can be converted into a machine gun with the installation of a specific type of pistol converter.
That type of trigger bar is most famously used in Glock pistols, and the referenced converter — also known as an automatic sear — is more often than not a “Glock switch.”
The device can be attached to the rear side of most Glock handguns, converting it into a pistol fully capable of automatic fire up to 20 rounds per second.
Glock switches are not manufactured by Glock, they are aftermarket parts manufactured and sold through the black market.
These switches are illegal under federal law, but Maryland Democrats are looking to take that restriction one step further by banning the sale of handguns that are capable of being converted with the devices.
This would mean that only hammer-fired semiautomatic pistols and striker-fired semiautomatic pistols could be sold in the Old Line State.
“We're essentially telling a private company how they have to make — or companies — how they have to manufacture their legal product so that they cannot be illegally manipulated by a third party actor without their consent or their knowledge or their intent in the future,” argued House Republican Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany County) during floor debate on Tuesday.
House Republican Whip Jesse Pippy (R-Frederick County) followed Buckel, saying that because using a Glock switch is already illegal, the legislation would place further restrictions on lawful gun owners.
“The Glock is the most popular handgun in our state. It's the most popular tool that people use for self defense in our state. And the fact of the matter is that this legislation goes after the law-abiding citizens only,” Pippy said.
Pippy also raised constitutional concerns with the bill and introduced an amendment that would have nullified the entire law if a court finds any provision of it to be invalid.
Del. Nicole Williams (D-Prince George’s County), the bill’s sponsor, argued that Pippy’s proposed language is “rarely” included in Maryland statute and it ultimately failed by a vote of 95 to 40.
If the legislation is signed into law, Glock owners would not be required to give up their handgun, but they would no longer be able to purchase those types of pistols in Maryland, nor would they be able to sell or transfer their Glock within the state.
California is the only other state to have passed a ban on machine gun convertible pistols, which will become effective on July 1, 2026, but other states have similar pending legislation.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) promptly sued California over the bill — the case is still being litigated.
During floor debate, Democrats argued the legislation is about consumer protection.
“The modification, in this instance, is about making the firearm a weapon of mass destruction, and we should not allow a company to be irresponsible, to put a product on the market that would allow someone to take out an entire block in a matter of seconds,” said Del. Malcolm Ruff (D-Baltimore City).
Williams also pointed to concerns from Maryland state’s attorneys and law enforcement that they’re seeing an increased use in converted pistols for criminal activity.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in 2023, law enforcement recovered 36 machine gun conversion devices in Maryland and around 4,500 nationwide.
Gun safety advocacy groups like Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Giffords Law Center are all in strong support of the bill.
“We’ve seen these 'switches' turn neighborhoods into war zones because certain manufacturers refuse to fix a flaw in their products,” said Alison Rodner, a volunteer with the Maryland chapter of Moms Demand Action, in a statement. “We won’t stop until this bill is signed into law and our families are finally protected from these DIY machine guns.”
Gun lobbyist groups like the NRA and Maryland 2A are in staunch opposition, arguing the bill places an unnecessary burden on lawful gun owners and manufacturers when offenders who illegally modify firearms “already ignore existing laws and will continue to do so.”
“Adding yet another layer of prohibitions erodes the rights of Maryland's law-abiding gun owners without meaningfully impacting those who break the law,” said the NRA Maryland State Director John Weber in his opposition testimony.
The Senate passed the bill last month with three Democrats in opposition.
It has one final vote in the House before heading to Gov. Wes Moore’s desk for signature, and if signed into law, it would become effective on Oct. 1, 2026.
