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House Judiciary hears hours of testimony on bill to bar sale of pistols convertible into machine guns
Summary
Supporters told the committee HB 577 would block future sales of semiautomatic pistols that accept small "switch" devices and push manufacturers to change designs; opponents including industry groups called it an effective ban on widely used striker‑fired pistols and warned of legal and market consequences.
Delegate Nicole Williams urged the House Judiciary Committee to give House Bill 577 a favorable report, saying the bill "will prohibit a person from manufacturing, selling, offering for sale, purchasing, receiving, or transferring a certain convertible pistol in Maryland" while not forcing current owners to surrender firearms.
Proponents — including Everytown for Gun Safety, the Brady Campaign and law‑enforcement witnesses — said certain pistols can be converted into fully automatic firearms with a small device commonly known as a "Glock switch," and that those conversion devices are difficult to regulate and increasingly recovered at crime scenes. "DIY machine guns are extremely dangerous and are spreading throughout Maryland," Mary Kanaw of Everytown testified.
Annapolis Acting Police Chief Amy Meggeth told the panel her department has recovered pistols with pistol converters and that some incidents produced dozens of shell casings, data she said link these devices to more destructive shootings.
Experts for supporters described a technical pathway: Everytown firearms analyst Greg Glickenbrock testified that Glock‑style cruciform trigger bars provide a surface that tiny auto‑sear devices can contact, allowing continuous fire with a single trigger pull.
Opponents — including the National Rifle Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and firearms industry lawyers — argued the bill is overbroad and would effectively bar a large class of striker‑fired pistols from the Maryland market. "This bill cannot be reasonably construed as anything other than a total ban on striker‑fired pistols," Mark Pinnock said in opposition testimony.
Industry witnesses and a certified Glock armorer said manufacturing changes suggested by supporters (for example, removing an access plate) would render firearms unserviceable or impose large costs for routine maintenance. Opponents also argued federal law already bans possession of conversion devices and that criminals who seek to use them will ignore state restrictions.
Committee members pressed both sides on constitutional questions after the Supreme Court's recent gun‑rights jurisprudence; proponents pointed to safety‑feature analogies in other states and to a Fourth Circuit decision upholding Maryland assault‑weapons limits as reason the bill could survive judicial review.
The committee did not take a vote during the hearing. Supporters asked lawmakers to act quickly to influence manufacturers’ design choices; opponents urged caution over enforcement, unintended effects on lawful owners, and possible legal challenges.
The hearing record shows broad expert and law‑enforcement support for targeting conversion devices, while trade groups and some firearms experts warned of collateral impacts on lawful owners and law enforcement training.
