Senator Love urges ban on easily converted ‘switch’ devices used to turn pistols into machine guns

Senator Sarah Love presented Senate Bill 334 on April 1, telling the House Judiciary Committee the measure addresses semi‑automatic pistols that, because of design features, can be converted into machine guns with a small quarter‑size device commonly called a switch. Love cited federal guidance from the ATFE and described incidents in which such conversions multiplied the potential for high rates of fire.

Love said the bill contains a narrowly tailored definition of “machine‑gun convertible pistol,” including a cruciform trigger bar and the use of common household tools for conversion. The Senate added amendments to define common household tools, the cruciform trigger bar and to tighten the covered‑weapon definition. Love said exceptions in the amended Senate version include law enforcement (both on‑ and off‑duty), retired officers certified under the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA), temporary gratuitous exchanges at ranges and transfers among immediate family members. She asked the committee for a favorable report.

During questioning, members pressed why exceptions exist if the goal is to remove devices from circulation; Love replied the exceptions are limited and were adopted to build a coalition and address operational needs, and she said the Maryland State Police must produce a list of covered pistols under the bill to clarify which models meet the statutory definition. Committee members also asked whether Glock models would be covered; Love said current iterations of some Glocks fall within the definition but emphasized the bill focuses on specific design features rather than on handguns broadly.