Spring assists are not switchblades!
A switchblade the blade is released by a SWITCH in the HANDLE. A spring assist requires you to apply force to the BLADE and the spring assists it in opening.
"unlawful if it opens automatically by pushing a button, spring or other device in the handle."
A spring assist has NONE of these things. It does NOT open automatically. There is NO button, spring, or other device in the HANDLE. It is NOT illegal per MD law.
Of course this has never stopped cops from arresting people, or prosecutors for prosecuting on charges like this. It's a farce and they know it.
But the worse is so called "gravity" knives. You ask a thousand cops and prosecutors, and I'd be shocked if even ONE would know what a real gravity knife is. Making them illegal is a huge injustice. Even if you ignore the asinine logic of any knife law, laws prohibiting gravity knives in particular are beyond asinine. EVERY one handed opening pocket knife could be construed as one if a cop or prosecutor wants to push the issue. Of course none of them are actual gravity knives.
Here is an actual gravity knife.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZjXuiC8t1E
But I digress. Point being, it's a farce.