Paul Lawrance

Gun sales in Maryland have soared through the roof as a sweeping gun control law, aimed at keeping guns of out the hands of criminals and the mentally unstable, is set to take effect on Tuesday.

Under the new law, 45 types of assault weapons would be barred from sale inside the state, magazines would be limited to 10 bullets and a finger print would be required for handgun purchases. Also, the state police would be granted similar authority held by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to check gun dealers’ inventory to see if there are firearms missing or any that have been sold to a prohibited buyer.[1]

106,772 gun-purchase applications so far this year as of Sept. 20 have been received by the Maryland state police; a number topping last year’s record application influx of 70,099.

CBS Baltimore is reporting that residents have been applying for gun purchases at the rate of about 1,000 a day over the past two weeks.

“There’s never been this kind of increase,” said state police spokesman Greg Shipley.

Frank Loane, owner of Pasadena Pawn and Gun in Pasadena, told CBS that, “Everybody’s trying to get in to either get an assault rifle or a handgun that they’ve always wanted, and they know the deadline is coming.”

Loane claims to be having his best year for firearm sales in the nearly seven years he has operated his store.

A group of opponents to the new law filed a lawsuit last week against the state of Maryland for what it calls a “flagrant disregard” for the gun rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment.[2]

The opposition to the law is scheduled for a court hearing on Tuesday, hoping to prevent the state from enacting the gun control measures as the legislation is set to pass that day.

Sources:

[1] Md. Gun Control Law Sparks Record Gun Sales – CBS Baltimore

[2] Maryland Gun Control: State readies to defend its new laws in court – wjla.com