Federal appeals court upholds Maryland’s ban on assault-style weapons

Associated Press

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld Maryland’s decade-old ban on military-style firearms commonly referred to as assault weapons. In a split decision on Tuesday, a majority of 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges rejected gun rights groups’ arguments that Maryland’s 2013 law is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. Maryland passed the sweeping gun-control measure after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre that killed 20 children and six adults in Connecticut in 2012. It bans dozens of firearms — including the AR-15, the AK-47 and the Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle — and puts a 10-round limit on gun magazines.