Moving to MD Need Advise

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  • tangent

    Active Member
    Feb 28, 2013
    196
    first 2 thoughts:

    Midnight planter

    Find a friend on a friendly but close sate with a closet for rent

    I deeply regret buying a house in this state. It would be a pain to move :(
     

    AKtoMD

    Member
    Feb 1, 2020
    9
    Kind of hopping on this train a little late, but I just discovered this forum today. So I too am slated to move to MD this summer and have a couple questions. I've done a decent amount of searching on this forum to answer them, but to no avail. So I've seen a lot of people say having your banned AR-15 separated into it's lower and upper is a grey area and wouldn't suggest it, but what about just removing the "evil" barrel and letting it sit in the safe? Obviously I could just replace the barrel with an HBAR, but it's really not worth it on this particular gun and I'd rather just let it sit in the safe until I transfer out of MD in a few years. My gun that I'm most concerned about however is my IWI Tavor SAR. I love the gun, and really don' want to get rid of it, but I haven't found too many options out there other than pinning a muzzle brake long enough to make the proper OAL. If I remove the bolt group, and the trigger pack before I enter the state do you think I would be in the clear?
     

    DaemonAssassin

    Why should we Free BSD?
    Jun 14, 2012
    23,970
    Political refugee in WV
    Kind of hopping on this train a little late, but I just discovered this forum today. So I too am slated to move to MD this summer and have a couple questions. I've done a decent amount of searching on this forum to answer them, but to no avail. So I've seen a lot of people say having your banned AR-15 separated into it's lower and upper is a grey area and wouldn't suggest it, but what about just removing the "evil" barrel and letting it sit in the safe? Obviously I could just replace the barrel with an HBAR, but it's really not worth it on this particular gun and I'd rather just let it sit in the safe until I transfer out of MD in a few years. My gun that I'm most concerned about however is my IWI Tavor SAR. I love the gun, and really don' want to get rid of it, but I haven't found too many options out there other than pinning a muzzle brake long enough to make the proper OAL. If I remove the bolt group, and the trigger pack before I enter the state do you think I would be in the clear?
    When did you buy your SAR?
     

    DaemonAssassin

    Why should we Free BSD?
    Jun 14, 2012
    23,970
    Political refugee in WV
    After 2013 unfortunately.

    You do have choices. Leave it with a trusted family member that can give it back to you after you PCS out of the state. You can sell it to a friend with the understanding that you will buy it back from them when you leave MD.

    EDIT:

    There is one other choice that you do have. You can buy a MD legal barrel for it and have that barrel installed, while in MD. When you finally leave MD you can put the original barrel back on it.
     

    dontallo

    Crotchety Old Guy Who Owns Too Many Guns
    Feb 13, 2020
    73
    Sarver, PA 16055
    Greetings, new neighbors! :beer:
    After reading through this thread, it appears we have a few things to get out of the way before we can have a discussion. :deadhorse: :P

    I'm relocating from NJ. My career requires me to put in 5 to 7 years in the Great State of Maryland before I can move on to a (hopefully) better location. Yes, I know MD sucks, but no more than any other blue state. Get over it. I see my move MD as a net improvement in personal freedom over the oppression I endured in NJ.

    No, NJ drivers are not assholes. What you all complain about is known as a "Jersey Driving Lesson." If you are on the receiving end of one, you should embrace it as an opportunity for personal growth. :lol2:

    All kidding aside, I do have some questions. I would appreciate some guidance. It has been a long time since the posts in this thread was written and some laws may have changed.

    1. I have to register my shit?!?! Seriously?!?! :mad54: I thought NJ was bad in that pistols are registered upon purchase. Even the Peoples Socialistic State of NJ doesn't require registration of existing property. So, I just want to confirm, this applies to all pistols (semi-auto and revolvers) and long guns purchased before 2013 that satisfy MD's definition of an assault weapon.

    2. Am I correct that MD's list of evil features does not include the deadly frightening pistol grip? Since NJ's does, all my long guns should have zero evil features from MD's perspective, correct? Would that mean I do not need to register any of the regardless of when they were purchases?

    The stupidity of that law is amazing. The way I read it, I could put a standard upper on my ST-15 lower and it would be perfectly legal because I bought it in 2010. But if I put that upper on my PSA-15 lower, it would be a criminal offense because I bought it last year. :confused:

    3. What is up with the HBAR requirement? Did that law pass?

    4. Anything else I should know before bringing my toys to MD?

    Thanks for the help.
     

    biglez

    Member
    Jun 16, 2020
    1
    Moving to MD

    Hello All,

    I just discovered this forum and i am seeking some help. I was a MD resident 5 years ago but moved to AL for college. While there i acquire several firearms. I have an 10.5" AR pistol, which i built from the lower up and a couple pistols. I dont know the process of bringing these items into the state and what i have to do to have them there legally. Can anybody shed some light on the steps i need to take and if the AR pistol is legal in MD?

    Thank for any info.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Did you change your legal residence to AL? DL, car registration, taxes? As a college student, you did not have to change your residence.

    If you changed your residence, then when you change back to MD, you will have register all your regulated firearms.

    If you have anything that is now banned, that you purchased after 9/30/13 you cannot bring them into the state.
     

    cyclelabs

    Member
    Dec 18, 2012
    62
    Gambrills, MD
    Moving from MD to FL and will be transporting firearms and ammo. Need advice

    I will be moving from MD to FL (by car mostly I95). What is the protocol for having firearms (unloaded) and ammunition in your car? I assume as long nothing is loaded and the ammo is in a separate bag or box that is ok?

    If one were to get pulled over by law enforcement I assume you declare you are moving and have unloaded firearms and ammo in your vehicle?

    Thanks in advance for all your great advice!!!!

    ~ Mark S.
     

    Mike

    Propietario de casa, Toluca, México
    MDS Supporter
    I will be moving from MD to FL (by car mostly I95). What is the protocol for having firearms (unloaded) and ammunition in your car? I assume as long nothing is loaded and the ammo is in a separate bag or box that is ok?

    If one were to get pulled over by law enforcement I assume you declare you are moving and have unloaded firearms and ammo in your vehicle?

    Thanks in advance for all your great advice!!!!

    ~ Mark S.

    Here, read these.

    https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?223168&p=5193876#post5193876

    https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?173372&p=3763050#post3763050
     

    glow

    Member
    Aug 19, 2020
    3
    Yikes, there seem to be a lot of laws to read up on!

    New member from California, moving to MD soon for my first job out of college. Moving to St. Mary's County within a couple of weeks, so I'm (laughably) apartment hunting at the 11th hour :D

    From what I gather in general:
    Must register everything within 90 days.

    Rifles:
    All of my rifles are over 30", have fixed stocks, and have no muzzle devices. From what I gather (based on the copycat weapon and restricted weapon listing on the "New Resident" section of the MDSP), I could be fine? I won't have to go with heavy barrels (sorry if I'm asking a silly question)?

    Pistols:
    There is a roster, but it seems like everything I have is already on the roster.
    EDIT: Looks like I need to get a HQL or 77R for the purpose of future purchases. From what I see, a 77R should be a superset of the HQL?

    Magazines:
    Nothing?

    I'm still trying to find more information on MD laws in general. I know it took me months to really get acquainted with how things were in CA.

    Are apartments typically picky on firearms in general? They sometimes were in CA, but I've not seen anything indicating as such in the St. Mary's County area.

    I hope to be a productive member of the Maryland firearms community. :)

    EDIT2:
    It appears I should go this route:
    Pre) Register for an account on the MDSP licensing portal.
    1) 4 hours of course(s) in various aspects of firearms safety/laws, approved by MD.
    2) HQL
    3) 77R
     

    ShafTed

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 21, 2013
    2,214
    Juuuuust over the line
    Regarding rifles: as long as nothing you have is on the "too evil for Maryland" list you should be all right. Be aware that the heavy barrel requirement only applies to Armalite-style rifles in .223/5.56 caliber, there is no such thing as barrel weight categories for other calibers. Also, there is no registration for long guns. If it's "too evil" you can't bring it in, if not, no restrictions.

    As for handguns & HQL, the HQL is only if you want to buy another after you move here. Also, the roster is only for purchase, you can bring anything you already have into the state regardless of the roster. You do have to register handguns within 90 days, but if you want to get the HQL then having an already registered handgun (which you just did when you moved) exempts you from the HQL training requirement. Stop off anywhere else between there & here and buy all of your standard capacity magazines while you are still in America. You can bring, own, and use standard capacity magazines, you just can't acquire anything over 10 inside Maryland's borders.

    Finally, Virginia isn't that far from St. Mary's county and is (at least for now) not quite as bad as Maryland so expand your apartment hunting a bit farther.
     

    DanGuy48

    Ultimate Member
    Glow......

    I hope you don’t think I’m prying but I’m very curious what kind of job you found in Maryland that couldn’t be matched in California, if you don’t mind sharing. Seems like there would be more opportunity in Ca without having to go through the trouble of moving.

    ....and welcome to you and biglez. Stop in the “newbie” thread and introduce yourself. Once you hit 50 posts, another area of the board will magically open for you.
     

    glow

    Member
    Aug 19, 2020
    3
    Regarding rifles: as long as nothing you have is on the "too evil for Maryland" list you should be all right. Be aware that the heavy barrel requirement only applies to Armalite-style rifles in .223/5.56 caliber, there is no such thing as barrel weight categories for other calibers. Also, there is no registration for long guns. If it's "too evil" you can't bring it in, if not, no restrictions.

    As for handguns & HQL, the HQL is only if you want to buy another after you move here. Also, the roster is only for purchase, you can bring anything you already have into the state regardless of the roster. You do have to register handguns within 90 days, but if you want to get the HQL then having an already registered handgun (which you just did when you moved) exempts you from the HQL training requirement. Stop off anywhere else between there & here and buy all of your standard capacity magazines while you are still in America. You can bring, own, and use standard capacity magazines, you just can't acquire anything over 10 inside Maryland's borders.

    Finally, Virginia isn't that far from St. Mary's county and is (at least for now) not quite as bad as Maryland so expand your apartment hunting a bit farther.
    Thank you for the clarification regarding the HQL. Virginia isn't too far away, but it does look like a 1 hour commute. I have lived though 2-4 hour commutes before, but I would rather not have to go back to that! :D I did consider that, though.
    Glow......

    I hope you don’t think I’m prying but I’m very curious what kind of job you found in Maryland that couldn’t be matched in California, if you don’t mind sharing. Seems like there would be more opportunity in Ca without having to go through the trouble of moving.

    ....and welcome to you and biglez. Stop in the “newbie” thread and introduce yourself. Once you hit 50 posts, another area of the board will magically open for you.

    I agree towards your assessment on job opportunities, but there was a particularly interesting position in embedded systems I just could not shake. I suppose if I had chosen Software Engineering I'd probably still be rumbling on the Calguns forum, though many of my classmates have either taken jobs with the state government or moved out of state. A few moved to the Bay Area for FAANG. I had already worked for the state as an engineering intern, and despite meeting some great people there, I left without any desire to work for state agencies again (all of the stereotypes were true, though it's not really that bad).


    Moved around a lot growing up, so I'm not really looking to form roots in Maryland, though I do hope to do the best I can, and be involved in the firearms community here. If there is anything I can thank CA for, it's for opening me up to the world of firearms. :)


    Thanks ShafTed and DanGuy48 for your welcome!
     
    Last edited:

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    Regarding rifles: as long as nothing you have is on the "too evil for Maryland" list you should be all right. Be aware that the heavy barrel requirement only applies to Armalite-style rifles in .223/5.56 caliber, there is no such thing as barrel weight categories for other calibers. Also, there is no registration for long guns. If it's "too evil" you can't bring it in, if not, no restrictions.

    This is NOT correct.

    If the rifle is on the banned list, but purchased before 10/1/2013, you may bring it into the state. And it must be registered within 90 days of establishing residency.

    If the rifle is on the list, but purchased on or after 10/1/2013, it may NOT be brought into the state at all.
     

    Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    As for handguns & HQL, the HQL is only if you want to buy another after you move here. Also, the roster is only for purchase, you can bring anything you already have into the state regardless of the roster. You do have to register handguns within 90 days, but if you want to get the HQL then having an already registered handgun (which you just did when you moved) exempts you from the HQL training requirement.

    Also WRONG.

    You do not need own a registered handgun to be training exempt.

    You could have purchased the firearm before you move to MD, and moved before the requirement to register.
     

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