Magazines in Maryland

B5C94ED6 FC1A 453F 8866 AFF5B1195912 1 105 c

     Among the questions MSI most frequently encounters are, "Can I keep magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds?" or "Can I carry a magazine that holds more than 10?"

Maryland law does not prohibit the possession of a magazine with a capacity of more than 10 rounds.
Period, full stop.

Nor does it ban the purchase of a so-called "large-capacity" magazine out of state and bringing that magazine back into Maryland. The controlling statute is MD Code, Criminal Law, § 4-305, which provides that:

"(b) A person may not manufacture, sell, offer for sale, purchase, receive, or transfer a detachable magazine that has a capacity of more than 10 rounds of ammunition for a firearm."  

     A violation of this provision is punishable by up to 3 years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both. MD Code, Criminal Law, § 4-306(a). It is thus a "disqualifying" crime under MD Code, Public Safety, § 5-101(g)(3). However, the bans on the sale or purchase apply to sales and purchases in Maryland, not elsewhere (Maryland does not attempt to regulate sales taking place outside its borders, or, at least, not yet). "Possession", "carry" or "transport" are not in that list of bans. So, nothing in Section 4-305 prohibits a permit holder from possessing and carrying a magazine with more than 10 rounds of capacity. That said, be aware that MD Code, Criminal Law,  § 4-306(b), provides that a person who uses a magazine that has a capacity of more than 10 rounds in the commission of a felony or a crime of violence is subject to a minimum sentence of 5 years in addition to any sentence imposed for the crime itself. SO, don't use your magazine in any crimes of violence or felonies (e.g., First Degree Assault), and you will be fine.

     Be aware that First Degree Assault includes the illegal threat with a firearm (sometimes called informally "brandishing"). See MD Code, Criminal Law, § 3-202(a)(2). Of course, if your life is truly imminently at risk or you are at imminent risk of great bodily harm, and you can meet the other elements of lawful self-defense (including the duty to retreat if outside the home, if a safe avenue of retreat is available), as defined in the MD case law, your attorney could assert a complete defense to the First Degree Assault charge.

    The Rule: Don't pull it, and don't threaten with it, unless you would be otherwise justified in actually firing it. For First Degree Assault, the prosecutor need only show that the defendant used a firearm with an intent to frighten, that the defendant had the present ability to bring about physical harm and that the victim was aware of the threat. See Synder v. State, 210 Md.App.370, 382 (2013). First Degree Assault is a felony in Maryland and is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The use of, or the threat of lethal force, should always be the last resort.

For more info on laws important to gun owners in Maryland, visit our Maryland State and Local Weapons Laws page.

Print Email


Latest News

Novotny v. Moore - Challenge to 2023 SB 1

msilogo ladyjusticesm

5/16/2023

On behalf of our members and in partnership with the Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Policy Coalition, Maryland Shall Issue and three individual plaintiffs are challenging unconstitutional aspects of SB 1, the so-called “Gun Safety Act of 2023” in the US District Court for the District of Maryland. SB 1 effectively nullifies the "general right to carry in public" for carry permit holders confirmed by the Supreme Court's decision NYSRPA v. Bruen just this last June. It does so by banning firearms in a whole host of locations otherwise open to the public, including places like stores and shops, restaurants, museums, and healthcare facilities. The suit also challenges the general ban on possession of firearms on public transit owned or controlled by the State Mass Transit Administration and in the tens of thousands of acres of woodlands in State parks, State forests, and State Chesapeake forest lands. We have every confidence that we will prevail in whole or in part in this suit.

Find the complaint in Novotny v. Moore HERE.

A guide on the effects of the recent changes to legal handgun carry in Maryland can be found HERE.

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Maryland Shall Issue®, Inc.
9613 Harford Rd
Ste C #1015
Baltimore, MD 21234-2150

Phone:  410-849-9197
Email: 
Web:   www.marylandshallissue.org