Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) of Maryland signed into law on May 16 a measure intended to control the sale of so-called assault weapons, which have been involved in incidents such as the mass killing at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown CT in December in 2012. The measure casts a broad net over a variety of weapons, both pistols and long guns, that have at least two of three characteristics – folding stock, grenade launcher or flash suppressor. Firearms having any two of these characteristics, therefore, qualify as an “assault weapon†under provisions of the law. Specific pistols, rifles...