Stephen Kolbe v. Lawrence Hogan, Jr.

What the court held

Maryland's Firearm Safety Act banned the sale and possession of firearms it classified as assault weapons and of magazines holding more than ten rounds. Sitting en banc, the Fourth Circuit upheld the law, holding that the banned rifles and magazines are not covered by the Second Amendment at all because they are most like the military M-16, and that even if they were covered, the ban would survive intermediate scrutiny because handguns and other firearms remain available for home defense. The court also rejected the plaintiffs' equal protection and vagueness challenges. Four judges dissented, arguing the weapons are in common use by law-abiding citizens and that strict scrutiny should apply.

Summarized from the court's opinion.

What this case is about

Maryland Firearm Safety Act ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines

GunMapUSA summary of the issue, not a quotation from the court.

Key Dates

• 2017-02-21 — Decided

Sources

• CourtListener — retrieved 2026-08-08