The Nation - News from April 12, 1988

The Maryland General Assembly enacted a unique gun control bill that will outlaw the manufacture and sale of Saturday Night Specials through the creation of a list of state-approved handguns. Under the landmark legislation, fought fiercely by the National Rifle Assn. and approved in the session’s final hours, a nine-member board, headed by the State Police superintendent, will be formed to decide which guns will be legally sold in Maryland. Gun control advocates introduced the measure to outlaw the manufacture and sale of plastic guns and cheap handguns, known as Saturday Night Specials, by creating the list specifying which guns can be made and sold.