Maryland Bans Glocks, Lawsuits Follow

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation Tuesday banning so-called "machine gun convertible pistols," effectively outlawing Glock sales in the state—and the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation, and Firearms Policy Coalition all announced legal challenges within hours.

State of play: Maryland is now the second state to pass this type of ban, following California's similar law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2025. Connecticut has a comparable bill working through its legislature.

Catch up quick:

• The law targets pistols classified as "machine gun convertible"—a reference to illegal auto-sear switches that criminals use to modify Glocks
• Those conversion devices are already illegal under federal law
• The NRA filed immediately; SAF and FPC joined the suit

The NRA's complaint cuts straight to the point: Moore banned one of the most widely owned, most widely carried handguns in the country—used by the FBI since 1997—because a subset of criminals illegally modify them with parts that are themselves already illegal to possess.

"Not only is this law as foolish as banning hops and barley to prevent drunk driving, but these commonly owned arms are clearly protected by the Second Amendment." — Adam Kraut, SAF Executive Director

Reality check: The legal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland frames the Bruen-era argument plainly: Glocks are in common use, they're constitutionally protected, and the state can't ban them because criminals illegally modify them. The modification is the crime. The pistol is not.

By the numbers:

• Glock 19X sold over 100,000 units in under six months after its 2018 release
• Glocks appear on virtually every major "best-selling handguns" list year over year
• The FBI has issued Glock pistols to agents since 1997

What to watch: This case lands in a post-Bruen federal judiciary that has already struck down several state gun laws that couldn't survive historical tradition analysis. Maryland's law faces the same question California's will: can a state ban a firearm that is, by any reasonable measure, in common use for lawful purposes? Courts have been skeptical. Expect a preliminary injunction fight before this law sees enforcement.