I know "assault pistols" are illegal in MD, but they seem to be by name only ...no feature base definition like the federal AWB.  Will an AR type pistol be legal in MD with the ban expiring?

Here is the MD law on the subjest:
§ 4-301. "Assault pistol" defined.

In this subtitle, "assault pistol" means any of the following firearms or a copy regardless of the producer or manufacturer:    
(1) AA Arms AP-9 semiautomatic pistol;  
 
(2) Bushmaster semiautomatic pistol;  
 
(3) Claridge HI-TEC semiautomatic pistol;  

(4) D Max Industries semiautomatic pistol;  

(5) Encom MK-IV, MP-9, or MP-45 semiautomatic pistol;  

(6) Heckler and Koch semiautomatic SP-89 pistol;  

(7) Holmes MP-83 semiautomatic pistol;  

(8) Ingram MAC 10/11 semiautomatic pistol and variations including the Partisan Avenger and the SWD Cobray;  

(9) Intratec TEC-9/DC-9 semiautomatic pistol in any centerfire variation;  

(10) P.A.W.S. type semiautomatic pistol;  

(11) Skorpion semiautomatic pistol;  

(12) Spectre double action semiautomatic pistol (Sile, F.I.E., Mitchell);  

(13) UZI semiautomatic pistol;  

(14) Weaver Arms semiautomatic Nighthawk pistol; or  

(15) Wilkinson semiautomatic "Linda" pistol.  

[An. Code 1957, art. 27, § 36H-1; 2002, ch. 26, § 2.]  


§ 4-303. Assault pistols - Prohibited.

a)  In general.- Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a person may not:  

(1) transport an assault pistol into the State; or  

(2) possess, sell, offer to sell, transfer, purchase, or receive an assault pistol.  

(b)  Exception.- A person who lawfully possessed an assault pistol before June 1, 1994 and who registered the assault pistol with the Secretary of the State Police before August 1, 1994 may continue to possess the assault pistol.  

[An. Code 1957, art. 27, § 36H-3; 2002, ch. 26, § 2.]  

I thought this was the Bushmaster semi-auto pistol:



Other than the caliber, I don't think it has anything in common with an AR based pistol.

Cerebus is correct - when written it was meant to be the ARM pistol.

However, I wonder if Curnan will twist it to also mean the current Bushmaster Carbon-15 pistols (as the law does not specify a particular model - just a brand).

Just transfer as SBR of AOW(if you put a small folding forward grip on it).  Both are allowed in MD, but of course are NFA items.

I love MD laws.
UZI semiauto pistol = illegal
UZI fullauto pistol = legal
UZI SBR rifle(exact same unit as semiauto pistol) = legal

Nice shopping list the state provides us.  With the AWB gone, a SBR semiauto skorpion would be cool.  Where do they sell them?

Actually the pistol and the SBR do have a difference, you need a stock on an SBR ...but the point is well taken.

Should I check on this with my dealer, or go directly to the State Police?

My bad.
I didn't know Bushmaster had the other one.

Cerebus:
No stock needed on an SBR, as one has to pay the SBR tax if they want to convert a rifle into a pistol (pistol to rifle conversion is free and is reversible).

Kharn

Are you sure?  I thought anything considered a rifle had to have a stock ...not arguing, just curious.

Its the ATF's ruling based on the NFA: You can add a stock and long barrel to a pistol to make it into a rifle, and then remove the stock and replace the barrel to make it back into a pistol.  Removing the stock and reducing the barrel on a rifle requires an SBR tax, as it is still a rifle but now with an over all length of less than 26".

Kharn

Guys, we (on AR15-L) were having a 'what if' with an AR-15 PDW (think AR-15 pistol with a 10-11" barrel).  However I found there were other laws to consider besides the Assault Pistol Ban.  To whit:

1) It's a new handgun and it's not on the 'approved handgun' roster. (this is the big one)

2) It's a post 2001 handgun and it doesn't have an integrated safety lock. (there may be a way around this with one of the approved add-ons).

3) No shell casing for the State Police (this is one of those grey areas that this particular issue hasn't seem to come up)

So importing one (like the Carbon-15 or OA-93) new is out of the question.  Even with the pro-gun people on the roster board I don't think we'd get it approved.

Looks like the only way to legally try this project in MD would be to get a 'pre handgun roster' AR-15 pistol/lower (there is a grandfather clause in that law as well as the other two).

Excellent points.  That's why Forest is the smart one.