Maryland State Police Define .22 Rimfire Rifles as “Assault Weapons”
Maryland –-(AmmoLand.com)- In its infinite wisdom, the licensing division of the Maryland State Police has determined that certain .22 caliber rimfire rifles are “assault weapons” based solely upon there cosmetic resemblance to some firearms that are defined by Maryland law as “assault weapons.”
In a letter to attorney Frank D. Boston, III, Captain Laura Lu Herman (Commander of the MSP licensing division) wrote in part:
“The Annotated Code of Maryland, Public Safety Article 5-101, defines a regulated firearm as “a firearm that is any of the following specific assault weapons or their copies, regardless of which company produced and manufactured that assault weapon…” The precise meaning of the words “copy” or “replica” are not included in the statute suggesting that a copy or replica may be interpreted as cosmetically copied or replicated or perhaps require more similar functional qualities.”
I will take into consideration the points you have identified in your letter and will forward a request for a formal opinion from the State of Maryland Attorney General on the precise meaning of “copy” and replica” as used in Public Safety Article 5-101.
Until the opinion of the Attorney General is published relating to this matter, the Maryland State Police Licensing Division believes it is in the best interest of the public in general to continue to process the purchases of the .22 caliber Rimfire Rifles in accordance to the statutory requirements for purchases of regulated firearms.”
The real problem is: The Maryland State Police have apparently not issued a formal written bulletin to the firearms dealers informing them of this new requirement. It is entirely possible for a dealer and/or buyer to be arrested, charged, and prosecuted for violating an unwritten policy established in secret by Maryland State Police Licensing Division.
About:
Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. (AGC), located in Marriottsville, Maryland. The Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore, Inc. was formed on July 1, 1944 when a number of World War II veterans in the Baltimore, Maryland area began looking for a place for recreational and competitive shooting. They organized with several other Baltimore area shooting clubs to form the “AGC”
"In its 'infinite' wisdom"…..how about 'impotent' wisdom?
In response to post #7….I agree with you that this country is in need of an emema. New Jersey without question would be the point of insertion.
Whew!!. Glad I don't live there. Ya know, none of my weapons have ever assaulted anybody. Just little ole' helpless pieces of paper and the occasional varmint or jug of water. As I stated on another site, "examiner.com", this country is in serious need of an enema!
Do they not know that any object that is used to hit a person with is an assault weapon. If you use your fist to hit someone that is an assault. So now they have to ban fists from people. Bats, tire irons, pipe, bottles, cars, like Ted Kennedys. It was as a murder weapon, hey, it was not banned, nor was he !! They need to stop making golf clubs. They have killed more people than most guns. Fire place pokers, rocks, my GOD, the list is endless.. Guns don't kill people, it takes bad people to kill people… Read more »
Clarence,
I'd love a cite for that statement! Oh the fun I could have with it…
PeterT
Did you know that the guns that started first assault weapon ban were picked by two women in "congress" that were thumbing a catalog of guns and pointed to the different guns that were then call assault weapons. That is how the definition of assault began.
OHHHHHHHH!! HORRORS!!!!!!!!! Do you mean to tell me that since I am on the right I am an extremist!!!! That since i am an ext. I am a potential terrorist? and now since I own a 22 rifle, I now have an assault weapon which makes me twice as dangerous? Sombody needs to google Gun Facts 5.0 and learn what they are talking about! There is no such thing as an 'assault weapon', there is no such thing as 'cop killer bullets', there is no such thing as Saturday night specials. your child is 7 times more likely to drown… Read more »