SB 8 Computer-Aided Firearm Fabrication

Rab1515 · Dec 19, 2018

First bill filed. http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=sb0008&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2019RS

This bill tries to put the information age back in its box, and it is obvious the packaging has already disintegrated.

303_enfield · Dec 19, 2018

Bans a mill an then this:

A PERSON MAY NOT POSSESS, SELL, OFFER TO SELL, TRANSFER,
3 PURCHASE, OR RECEIVE A FIREARM MANUFACTURED USING A COMPUTER–AIDED
4 FABRICATION DEVICE.
5 (B) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR
6 AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 5 YEARS OR A
7 FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000 OR BOTH.

So all home made guns would be banned. What firearm is made without a computer aided fab. device?

THIS SUBTITLE DOES NOT APPLY TO:
15 (1) THE MANUFACTURE OR POSSESSION OF A FIREARM:
16 (I) FOR TESTING OR EXPERIMENTATION AUTHORIZED BY THE
17 SECRETARY OF STATE POLICE OR THE SECRETARY’S DESIGNEE; OR
18 (II) BY A FEDERALLY LICENSED GUN MANUFACTURER; OR
19 (2) THE POSSESSION OF A FIREARM MANUFACTURED BY A
20 FEDERALLY LICENSED GUN MANUFACTURER.

JTH20 · Dec 19, 2018

9 (A) A PERSON MAY NOT POSSESS AND INTENTIONALLY RETAIN, OR
10 DISTRIBUTE, TRANSMIT, PUBLISH, SELL, OFFER TO SELL, TRANSFER, OR PURCHASE
11 COMPUTER CONTROL LANGUAGE, A COMPUTER PROGRAM, COMPUTER SOFTWARE,
12 OR A COMPUTER DATABASE THAT IS:
13 (1) CAPABLE OF BEING RUN OR EXECUTED USING A COMPUTER OR
14 COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT IS CONNECTED TO OR PART OF ONE OR MORE
15 COMPUTER–AIDED FABRICATION DEVICES; AND
16 (2) DESIGNED TO CAUSE A COMPUTER–AIDED FABRICATION DEVICE
17 TO OPERATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MANUFACTURING OR OTHERWISE FABRICATING
18 A FIREARM.
19 (B) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR
20 AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 5 YEARS OR A
21 FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000 OR BOTH.

Gold. I wonder if Maryland also plans to make it illegal to posses the plans to build pipe shotguns, molotov cocktails and pipe bombs. After all, those can be made from simple parts available at a hardware store

duffball · Dec 20, 2018

303_enfield said:
Bans a mill an then this:
So all home made guns would be banned. What firearm is made without a computer aided fab. device?

(2) “COMPUTER–AIDED FABRICATION DEVICE” INCLUDES A COMPUTER–CONTROLLED:

3–D PRINTER;
CUTTING MACHINE;
ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINE; AND
MILLING MACHINE.

home made guns are fine depending on how they were made.
If I'm reading the bill correctly where it defines a "Computer-aided fabrication device", The items enumerated cannot be used when they are computer controlled.

So an 80% finished with a drill/router would be fine.
But an 80% finished with a CNC machine would be banned.

Pretty sure this bill is targeted at defense distributed and the GhostGunner in particular. They are banning the GhostGunner without explicitly mentioning it.

Politicians get to claim they banned "Ghost Guns" this year and home made guns can still be built, but requires some skill with hand tools.

It's a crap law, but if this the only thing that gets shoved through to ban ghost guns then its not as bad as it could be...for now.

I'm surprised it bans the possession of computer code though.
That is a pretty blatant 1A issue.

DaemonAssassin · Dec 20, 2018

Cody Wilson already beat this using the 1A...

whistlersmother · Dec 20, 2018

So does an 80% and possession of a CNC milling machine equal constructive possession?

Sometimes I wonder if politicians just don't know anything of what they try to legislate. Then they open their mouths and I know for sure.

And just how in hell can anyone tell if a firearm completed from an 80% kit was finished with a hand router or a CNC mill?

LeadSled1 · Dec 20, 2018

LOL, Maryland is telling the Army they cannot design weapons on the Proving Grounds?

Maryland is going to send people to jail for 5 years for firearms they have owned for decades due to the firearm being imported and not "manufactured by a federally licensed gun manufacturer" (class 7)?

erwos · Dec 20, 2018

JTH20 said:
9 (A) A PERSON MAY NOT POSSESS AND INTENTIONALLY RETAIN, OR
10 DISTRIBUTE, TRANSMIT, PUBLISH, SELL, OFFER TO SELL, TRANSFER, OR PURCHASE
11 COMPUTER CONTROL LANGUAGE, A COMPUTER PROGRAM, COMPUTER SOFTWARE,
12 OR A COMPUTER DATABASE THAT IS:
13 (1) CAPABLE OF BEING RUN OR EXECUTED USING A COMPUTER OR
14 COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT IS CONNECTED TO OR PART OF ONE OR MORE
15 COMPUTER–AIDED FABRICATION DEVICES; AND
16 (2) DESIGNED TO CAUSE A COMPUTER–AIDED FABRICATION DEVICE
17 TO OPERATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF MANUFACTURING OR OTHERWISE FABRICATING
18 A FIREARM.
19 (B) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SECTION IS GUILTY OF A MISDEMEANOR
20 AND ON CONVICTION IS SUBJECT TO IMPRISONMENT NOT EXCEEDING 5 YEARS OR A
21 FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000 OR BOTH.

Criminalizing possession of technical information is a terrifying precedent to set.

Like, I know it's a mistake to discount anything that goes in the MGA hopper, but this one has a single sponsor and has language that even people on the left can understand has some real problems. I don't think this is going to be the bill that we wind up having to fight to the death with.

Allen65 · Dec 20, 2018

There will almost certainly be a House bill version, too. I'm guessing it will be worse, based on past history.

PapiBarcelona · Dec 20, 2018

So, is this a ban on most production guns? LOL

Hawkeye · Dec 20, 2018

This particular bill is a bad joke that wouldn't stand up to even the lightest Constitutional test, but we have to be careful, because more are coming down the line (Dumais, I'm looking at you here).

It's also totally ineffectual as written and is clearly an "I want to score some points" kind of bill written by someone who has no knowledge of the subject matter at hand.

303_enfield said:
So all home made guns would be banned.

No, they wouldn't. Only ones made by computer or computer controlled device.

What firearm is made without a computer aided fab. device?

An AR lower that you finish with a router or drill, or a Poly80 Glock that you finish with a Dremel and some files.

K31 · Dec 20, 2018

erwos said:
Criminalizing possession of technical information is a terrifying precedent to set.

So someone sends you an email an image with steganography that's includes plans for a 3D printed gun. Bingo, you're a criminal.

K31 · Dec 20, 2018

Hawkeye said:
No, they wouldn't. Only ones made by computer or computer controlled device.

An AR lower that you finish with a router or drill, or a Poly80 Glock that you finish with a Dremel and some files.

Neither of those (the 80% "blank") require manufacturing by an licensee but may still (probably were) designed on a computer.

Hawkeye · Dec 20, 2018

K31 said:
Neither of those (the 80% "blank") require manufacturing by an licensee but may still (probably were) designed on a computer.

Yes, but here's the legal rub:

They aren't firearms until you complete the 81st % of machining operations. Until then, it's a lump of metal or plastic, not a firearm. It becomes a firearm when you do the 81st % of machining, and *that* can't be done with a computer according to this bill.

Jake4U · Dec 20, 2018

erwos said:
Criminalizing possession of technical information is a terrifying precedent to set.

Like, I know it's a mistake to discount anything that goes in the MGA hopper, but this one has a single sponsor and has language that even people on the left can understand has some real problems. I don't think this is going to be the bill that we wind up having to fight to the death with.

Hopefully you're right. It also makes clear we have the 1st amendment because the second one spells out how it will be defended. Leftists are all about controlling speech and information flow. Move along Comrade, nothing to see here ...

MigraineMan · Dec 20, 2018

whistlersmother said:
And just how in hell can anyone tell if a firearm completed from an 80% kit was finished with a hand router or a CNC mill?

Doesn't say "completed." Your CNC-machined-from-billet 80% lower that you finished by scraping on the curb and bashing with a rock is:

- A FIREARM MANUFACTURED USING A COMPUTER–AIDED FABRICATION DEVICE.

ironpony · Dec 20, 2018

I have maybe seven routers and most of them say "Soft-starting motor features full-time electronic feedback that maintains motor speed through the cut" I do not believe this is possible without some type of "Computer Control". If so ....
However I am no electronics engineer so the soft start may be done with basic non computer crap ....??

dogbone · Dec 20, 2018

They haven't amended it to include this yet?:

23 A PERSON SHALL NOT READ, POST, TRANSMIT, OR DISCUSS
24 FACTS, OPINIONS, LINKS, PHOTOGRAPHS, DIAGRAMS
25 RELATED OR PERTAINING TO THE USE, MANUFACTURE, ALTERATION, OR REPAIR
26 OF FIREARMS USING ANY COMPUTER ENABLED DEVICE, INCLUDING LAPTOPS, IPADS, OR SMARTPHONES

Engine4 · Dec 20, 2018

I wonder what they'll classify as a "computer"?

Hawkeye · Dec 20, 2018

Engine4 said:
I wonder what they'll classify as a "computer"?

It's in the bill.

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