Gun rights groups sue Maryland over pistol conversion ban

A coalition of gun rights organizations filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, challenging a new Maryland law that restricts a category of handguns. The legal action was initiated hours after Governor Wes Moore signed Senate Bill 334 into law.

The legislation prohibits the manufacture, sale, purchase, receipt, or transfer of firearms defined as "machine gun convertible pistols," effective January 1, 2027. The law defines these pistols as semiautomatic handguns with a cruciform trigger bar that can be readily converted into a fully automatic weapon using an illegal conversion device, commonly known as a "Glock switch" or auto sear. The law includes exemptions for active and retired law enforcement personnel and does not require current owners to surrender their firearms.

In their lawsuit, the National Rifle Association, the Second Amendment Foundation, and the Firearms Policy Coalition argue the measure constitutes an unconstitutional ban on commonly owned firearms. They contend the law targets Glock and similar pistols, which they describe as among the most popular handguns in the nation and protected under the Second Amendment.

John Commerford, executive director of...