[Fixit]

I blew my bolding in this post, but it bears repeating:

But what if you have a lawfully owned handgun, legally transported, that isn't tied to you by the State Police? This is entirely possible, since many of us own firearms from the days before private transfer was banned. According to spokesman Cpl. Meterko, at that point the officer is free to confiscate any firearm that he doesn't believe you should have. I asked him whether any are returned; apparently this doesn't happen. "If we take it, we're going to keep it."

[Fixit]

And one last bit of anti-Maryland ranting that was stuck in my brain from the time I lived in the PRM.

Maryland has a special bit of statutory law on the forfeiture of any handguns that the police take away.

http://mlis.state.md.us/1997rs/bills/hb/hb0117f.rtf

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
  19  MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

  20                  Article 27 - Crimes and Punishments

  21  36C.

  22  	(a) The following items of property shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture, and,
  23  upon forfeiture, no property right shall exist in them:

  24  		(1) Any handgun being worn, carried, or transported in violation of § 36B of
  25  this article; and

  26  		(2) All ammunition or other parts of or appurtenances to any such handgun
  27  worn, carried, or transported by such person or found in the immediate vicinity of such
  28  handgun.
 
2

   1  	(d) (1) Whenever property is forfeited under this section, the law enforcement
   2  agency seeking forfeiture of the property may:

   3  			(i) Order the property retained for the official use of the law
   4  enforcement agency; [or]

   5  			(ii) [Make such other disposition of the property as the law
   6  enforcement agency deems appropriate] DESTROY THE FORFEITED PROPERTY; OR

   7  			(III) SELL THE FORFEITED PROPERTY TO:

   8  				1. ANOTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR OFFICIAL
   9  USE BY THE PURCHASING AGENCY; OR

  10  				2. A LICENSED FIREARMS DEALER.

  11  		(2) Within 30 days of the disposition of the forfeited property, the law
  12  enforcement agency shall notify the Secretary of the State Police of:

  13  			(i) The description of the property forfeited;

  14  			(ii) The type of disposition made;

  15  			(iii) The identity of the person to whom the property was transferred
  16  for disposal, retention, or resale; and

  17  			(iv) If the person was a licensed firearms dealer, the firearms dealer's
  18  license number and address.