Are There AR-15 Restrictions In Maryland?

pwa said:

Hey All,
I bought myself a nice little Delton AR-15 16" carbine over the summer and had it shipped and (of course) legally transferred to me in Pennsylvania where I go to school.

I'm planning to store it back at home in Maryland, but with things the way they are right now, I wanted to be extra careful and make sure I'm aware of any differences between gun laws in PA vs MD.

A couple things I'm worried about in particular:
1. I have two 30 round p-mags along with it, but from what I gather possession is not illegal in Maryland, can anyone confirm this?
2. I think that an AR-15 would fall under the category of an assault weapon, are there any additional things I have to do (registration, fees, background checks) before I can legally have the weapon in Maryland?

Click to expand...

krew08 said:

1. You can bring those 30 round mags to MD. You can not purchase, sell, transfer, offer to sell, or manufacture magazines (for any weapon) with capacity greater than 20 rounds. Possession is not prohibited. This magazine restriction does not apply to .22 caliber tubular magazines.

2. ARs are considered "regulated weapons" and regulated like handguns, more or less. Since you are bringing this from PA, you do not need to register. However if you are to buy one in MD, you will need to go through MSP background check and 7 day waiting period.

Click to expand...

Boom Boom said:

You own it all. You can bring it to Maryland. There are no possession or registration issues. Everything you are asking about only pertains to MD law for purchasing them in MD.

Click to expand...

3/2ACR Vet said:

My question on this is:

What is your state of legal residence?

I ask this because, as far as I know (ianal), that if I were to purchase a (maryland) regulated firearm in Pennsylvania, in order to own it legally, I would have to have it transferred to a Maryland FFL and have the required paperwork done on it before taking posession, since I am a Maryland resident.

If you are a Maryland resident, who is going to school in PA, but still maintain your legal residence in MD, you may have created an issue for yourself in purchasing this firearm without going through an FFL

You haven't specified where your legal residence is though.

I would not know what to do if that is the case, besides advising you to contact someone more knowlegeable in firearms law.

Click to expand...

pwa said:

I'm not sure what you mean by not going through an FFL, I did go through an PA FFL, who did raise a concern about using my MD license for the NICS check. The check went through no problem, and it was explained to me that my student status was considered adequate for Pennsylvania residency.

EDIT:
As quoted from the PA State Civil Commission Website: "As a current student at a college, university, or technical school or as a member of the armed forces, you meet the requirements of Pennsylvania residency if you... are a student from another state who is currently residing at and enrolled in a Pennsylvania college, university, or technical school, and have a Pennsylvania mailing address"

Click to expand...

3/2ACR Vet said:

My question on this is:

What is your state of legal residence?

I ask this because, as far as I know (ianal), that if I were to purchase a (maryland) regulated firearm in Pennsylvania, in order to own it legally, I would have to have it transferred to a Maryland FFL and have the required paperwork done on it before taking posession, since I am a Maryland resident.

I would not know what to do if that is the case, besides advising you to contact someone more knowlegeable in firearms law.

Click to expand...