New State Bans:
MD & CT Target
Glock-Style Pistols

Both laws define the banned firearm in nearly identical terms: any semiautomatic pistol equipped with a cruciform trigger bar — the cross-shaped component linking the trigger to the firing pin — that can be converted into a machine gun by attaching a switch or "pistol converter" to the rear of the slide using only a common household tool.

In practice, this definition targets Glock-style striker-fired platforms. The cruciform trigger bar design, standard on Glocks and most Glock-pattern handguns, is precisely what makes "Glock switches" possible. Neither law names Glock by brand, but the geometry they describe maps squarely onto that design family.

No — neither law requires surrender. Both statutes target future commercial activity: manufacturing, selling, purchasing, and transferring covered pistols after the effective dates. Lawful possession of a pistol acquired before those dates is not criminalized by either law.

Maryland explicitly does not criminalize continued possession of a pistol lawfully owned before January 1, 2027. Connecticut's ban applies only to pistols manufactured on or after October 1, 2026, so a pistol built before that date is outside the definition entirely — making accurate manufacture-date records critical for dealers and buyers alike.

Maryland SB 334 carries over the existing exemptions from Section 4-302 of the Criminal Law Article and adds several specific carve-outs for covered pistols:

• Immediate family transfers from someone who lawfully obtained the pistol
• Active law enforcement and military personnel acting within official duties
• Retired law enforcement in good standing with valid credentials under 18 U.S.C. § 926C
• Licensed dealers and manufacturers servicing, selling, or transferring to law enforcement or out-of-state buyers
• Inheritance — heir is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a regulated firearm
• Temporary servicing by licensed dealers or gunsmiths
• Temporary gratuitous exchanges (briefly letting another person use the firearm)

Connecticut's law has two important design-based exclusions built directly into the definition of "convertible pistol":

• Hammer-fired semiautomatic pistols are excluded entirely. The law only targets striker-fired designs. Traditional DA/SA and single-action hammer pistols are outside its scope.
• Pistols with a shielding tab or piece of material that physically blocks a converter from attaching to the cruciform trigger bar are also excluded. This gives manufacturers a design path to remain legal in Connecticut — retrofit or redesign the slide to block converter attachment.

The laws target striker-fired pistols with a cruciform trigger bar. Standard 2011-platform builds are hammer-fired — meaning they use a traditional hammer-and-sear ignition system rather than a striker. Connecticut's law explicitly excludes hammer-fired semiautomatic pistols from its definition.

Maryland's law is broader and will rely on the State Police's prohibited-models list (due before January 1, 2027) for specific coverage. Until that list is published, the operative language is the cruciform trigger bar definition — and 2011-style hammer-fired designs don't fit it.

Maryland and Connecticut are the second and third movers. California AB 1127, a similar statute targeting the same striker-fired conversion vulnerability, takes effect July 1, 2026 and is already in litigation. Industry groups and Second Amendment organizations have signaled legal challenges to the MD and CT laws are likely to follow.

• California AB 1127: Effective July 1, 2026 — currently in courts
• Maryland SB 334: Commercial ban January 1, 2027 — MD State Police rulemaking underway
• Connecticut HB 5043: Effective October 1, 2026 — CT DESPP guidance pending
• Other states: Watch for similar legislation in other blue-leaning legislatures in 2026–2027 sessions