Maryland House Passes HB 577, Doubling Down on Senate’s Efforts to Stop the Spread of DIY Machine Guns Across the State

ANNAPOLIS, M.D. - Today, the Maryland chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety's grassroots network, released the following statements after House lawmakers passed HB 577, a critical public safety measure that prohibits the sale of handguns that can be easily and quickly converted into fully automatic "DIY machine guns" using illegal "switches." Sponsored by Delegate Nicole Williams, this vote marks another landmark effort to hold gun manufacturers accountable for pistol designs that enable the proliferation of rapid-fire DIY machine guns.

"Maryland has long been a national leader in the fight against gun violence, and today's House vote proves that commitment remains ironclad. We are incredibly grateful to Delegate Nicole Williams for her leadership in tackling the urgent threat of DIY machine guns," said Monisha Henley, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety. "By passing this legislation, Maryland is taking an innovative step to stop the sale of 'convertible' pistols that are easily transformed into weapons of war. This bill focuses on prevention by stopping these convertible weapons at the source before they can devastate our communities. We applaud the House for prioritizing the safety of Maryland families over the profits of negligent manufacturers."

The threat of DIY machine guns is a growing reality on Maryland streets, where certain semi-automatic pistols can be equipped with "switches" that allow them to fire at a rate of up to 1,200 rounds per minute-20 rounds per second. Nationally, ATF data shows that recoveries of these conversion devices increased by 784% between 2019 and 2023. In 2023 alone, law enforcement recovered 36 machine gun conversion devices in Maryland. Police officers in Baltimore, Prince George's County, and Montgomery County have all reported incidents involving these illegally converted handguns capable of automatic fire, including the mass shooting at Morgan State University.

The legislation prohibits the sale of handguns that can be easily converted into fully automatic machine guns, holding manufacturers to a basic safety standard: if you want to sell in Maryland, your pistol cannot be designed to accept a switch. This approach does not infringe on gun ownership or take away any firearms already owned by Marylanders. Rather, it targets industry designs that make machine gun conversion easy.

Beyond the physical toll, gun violence imposes a massive financial burden on all Marylanders. This epidemic costs the state $10.5 billion each year, with $383.9 million of that total paid directly by taxpayers. By allowing convertible handguns to enter the state, Maryland has essentially been subsidizing the profits of negligent manufacturers with taxpayer dollars and lives lost.

In an average year in Maryland, 797 people die by guns and 1,745 people are wounded. 63% of gun deaths in Maryland are by gun homicide. More information about gun violence in Maryland is available here.