Immediately before the law took effect in October, there was a spike in background checks as buyers rushed to purchase guns (like semi-automatic AK-47s) that would be banned under the law or avoid new licensing requirements for purchase of a handgun.
The low levels in October 2013 and onward reflect two realities: the law made it more onerous to purchase handguns and it banned 45 guns that previously required a regulated firearms application to purchase.
How much did gun sales spike in 2013 in the wake of Sandy Hook? Marylanders bought nearly as many regulated firearms -- handguns, some semi-automatic rifles and shotguns -- in 2013 as they did all types of guns -- regulated firearms, but also bolt-action hunting rifles -- the year before. In 2014, after the law was passed, total gun sales returned to roughly 2012 levels, but sales of regulated firearms -- mainly handguns under the new law -- were expected to fall below the levels seen since 2006 (2014 regulated firearm data is only available through September).
The purchase of all guns requires a background check through the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System, represented by the gray bars below. Regulated firearm purchases in Maryland require an additional layer of scrutiny by the Maryland State Police, represented by the red bars below.
The Maryland State Police decline to approve a very small percentage of applications to purchase a regulated firearm. As the number of applications rose as Marylanders rushed to buy guns before the law took effect, so did the number of denied applications. The number of denied applications stayed elevated for about a month after the law took effect, possibly due to a lag between when it was submitted and when it was processed.
Handguns are the most common weapon used in Maryland murders, accounting for more than all other types of murders combined. But non-handgun firearm murders are comparatively rare. In fact, homicides with "hands, fists and feet" (punching and strangulation, for example) were more common than murders with rifles (including semi-automatics) and shotguns in each year dating back to 2006. 2014 data is not yet available.
In 2013, no rifles were used as murder weapons in Maryland, and only four shotguns, a slightly lower level than prior years. Knives and other cutting instruments are much more likely to be used in a murder than either of those class of weapons.
Sources: Regulated firearms data from Maryland State Police StateStat reports, NICS data from FBI state numbers, murder data from the FBI Uniform Crime Report. NICS data indicates the number of background checks initiated in Maryland, but some applications are denied and purchases cancelled. Similarly, the number of applications to purchase regulated firearms does not necessarily represent final sales as applications may be disapproved by the State Police.