ddeanjohnson
autodidact
- Aug 21, 2010
- 801
An offhand question that someone raised in another thread on this Board got me thinking, and causes me to seek assistance on a little technical project, focusing on this question: Are there any models of handgun, currently approved by the Maryland Handgun Roster Board, that would fall under the definition of so-called "copycat" firearms and therefore be banned by SB 281?
Please note that my question is not "will any handguns be banned by SB 281?" Clearly, some handguns will be banned -- specifically, any "semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds." (SB 281, page 10, lines 26-27.) (For information of the "grandfathered" status of such pistols that are owned prior to October 1, 2013, see numbered paragraph no. 7 in my summary of the bill.)
For example, I have a photo of a pistol of World War I vintage that I'm told is known as the "Finnish Broomhandle Mauser," which has a fixed magazine that holds 20 rounds (see below). (It is a variant of the famous "Broomhandle Mauser" that typically had a 10-round fixed magazine.)
It seems highly unlikely that a specimen of this rare collector's item would be used by a criminal or crazy person for commission of a crime, but the SB 281 "assault"/"copycat" ban does not contain an except for valuable collector's items (except those made before 1899), so acquisition of the Finnish Broomhandle Mauser would be banned -- another great stride forward for public safety, heh?
But the requirement for Roster Board approval applies only to handguns manufactured after January 1, 1985. The current Roster of approved models appears here.
So, my question is whether there is an approved model, already listed on the Roster, that would fall under the new ban. I cannot think of one offhand, but the Roster contains many handgun models with which I am unfamiliar. If you think you notice a model that would fall under the "copycat" ban, please call it to my attention through an email or an IM, for further investigation. I would like to factor the results of this "research" into whatever I might write in the future about the bill. Thank you in advance for anybody who can help on this.
(Note: the Roster Board website can be glitchy -- I have more success there with Google Chrome than with other browsers.)
Someone who reads this might think that the result of my research is going to be to remove pistols from the Maryland market that would otherwise remain, and that therefore a "don't ask, don't tell" policy should be followed. That would be based on a misconception. In my opinion, it will become illegal to acquire a "copycat" pistol on October 1, 2013, even if that hypothetical model continues to appear on the Handgun Roster for some period of time. These are two separate laws and two separate prohibitions. The only result of a banned gun continuing to be listed on the Roster would be to confuse some unwary citizen and possibly lead him or her into a costly legal mess.
But I will not be surprised if it turns out that no currently approved model will be covered by the new ban.
Please note that my question is not "will any handguns be banned by SB 281?" Clearly, some handguns will be banned -- specifically, any "semiautomatic pistol with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds." (SB 281, page 10, lines 26-27.) (For information of the "grandfathered" status of such pistols that are owned prior to October 1, 2013, see numbered paragraph no. 7 in my summary of the bill.)
For example, I have a photo of a pistol of World War I vintage that I'm told is known as the "Finnish Broomhandle Mauser," which has a fixed magazine that holds 20 rounds (see below). (It is a variant of the famous "Broomhandle Mauser" that typically had a 10-round fixed magazine.)
It seems highly unlikely that a specimen of this rare collector's item would be used by a criminal or crazy person for commission of a crime, but the SB 281 "assault"/"copycat" ban does not contain an except for valuable collector's items (except those made before 1899), so acquisition of the Finnish Broomhandle Mauser would be banned -- another great stride forward for public safety, heh?
But the requirement for Roster Board approval applies only to handguns manufactured after January 1, 1985. The current Roster of approved models appears here.
So, my question is whether there is an approved model, already listed on the Roster, that would fall under the new ban. I cannot think of one offhand, but the Roster contains many handgun models with which I am unfamiliar. If you think you notice a model that would fall under the "copycat" ban, please call it to my attention through an email or an IM, for further investigation. I would like to factor the results of this "research" into whatever I might write in the future about the bill. Thank you in advance for anybody who can help on this.
(Note: the Roster Board website can be glitchy -- I have more success there with Google Chrome than with other browsers.)
Someone who reads this might think that the result of my research is going to be to remove pistols from the Maryland market that would otherwise remain, and that therefore a "don't ask, don't tell" policy should be followed. That would be based on a misconception. In my opinion, it will become illegal to acquire a "copycat" pistol on October 1, 2013, even if that hypothetical model continues to appear on the Handgun Roster for some period of time. These are two separate laws and two separate prohibitions. The only result of a banned gun continuing to be listed on the Roster would be to confuse some unwary citizen and possibly lead him or her into a costly legal mess.
But I will not be surprised if it turns out that no currently approved model will be covered by the new ban.