Calls to Ban Long Guns in Maryland Following the release of a new "study" from a self-professed gun control group, Maryland Ceasefire, calls for banning long guns are surfacing throughout Maryland. The report claims that a crime is committed in Maryland every 48 hours with a so-called "assault weapon." With the misunderstanding that there is no functional difference between an "assault weapon" and any semiautomatic firearm, long guns throughout the state are in danger of being legislated out of existence. The underlying intentions of this report could not be clearer. As one news report stated, "Right or wrong, gun control advocates say they want a ban on long guns."