Guide to gun rights in your Massachusetts town

[BOBKATT]

I'm taking a look at this map and my hat is off to all the people who gave their input and who came up with this but I can't help thinking one thing:

We need more gun owners!

Lots of green, red, and black towns, but what about the see through towns? No gunowners there? Come on now, theres safety in numbers. Promote gun ownership and this site. I know, you already do. Well me too, let's keep at it.

 

[terraformer]

I'm taking a look at this map and my hat is off to all the people who gave their input and who came up with this but I can't help thinking one thing:

We need more gun owners!

Lots of green, red, and black towns, but what about the see through towns? No gunowners there? Come on now, theres safety in numbers. Promote gun ownership and this site. I know, you already do. Well me too, let's keep at it.

NES may be a nice resource, but statistically less than 4% of the state's gun owning population has an account (based on a new member's UID yesterday) assuming all NES accounts are held by Ma**h***s (they are not). The problem above is directly related to that, although more gun ownership is definitely a good thing.

 

[CJN-77]

CJN-77: Please let us know how it works out. It would be great news if they are regularly giving out ALP. It seems like Natick licensing changes with the moon phase.

Just got my permit in the mail today....surprisingly it took less than 3 weeks to get it but the permit is restricted to Target & Hunting just as I suspected.

What does this mean in terms of carrying? Can I only bring it to the range? Do I have to keep it locked up on the way there?

 

[WayneWong]

Just got my permit in the mail today....surprisingly it took less than 3 weeks to get it but the permit is restricted to Target & Hunting just as I suspected.

What does this mean in terms of carrying? Can I only bring it to the range? Do I have to keep it locked up on the way there?

Yes, you have to keep it locked up on the way to the range, otherwise you risk being a test case for the courts.

Click on this search string and you will find some interesting posts and arguments about what restrictions mean in this so called state.

http://northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/search.php?searchid=1629074

 

[M1966]

Based on my experience of being renewed "no restrictions" automatically (and timely), despite my old one saying T&H, I'm thinking Methuen deserves a green.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

Based on my experience of being renewed "no restrictions" automatically (and timely), despite my old one saying T&H, I'm thinking Methuen deserves a green.

hold on a sec, though. many towns will issue a restricted the first time, and then upon renewal will be ALP. That, unfortunately, is not considered green.

Unless you can show a change of policy where all FIRST time applicants get ALP, the town should not be green. not yet, at least.

 

[Lucas McCain]

Yep, Pepperell is still green, got my non-restricted class A large cap. in a week, zero hassle.

 

[M1966]

I had originally told the officer I didn't need the ALP the first time (not sure where my brain was that day)...when I requested dropping the 'target and hunting' at the renewal, I was told by the firearms officer and I quote, "The laws have changed in Massachusetts, a Class A is a Class A. If thats what you are applying for then thats what you get, a Class A Hi-cap/ license to carry."
The officer was friendly, informative, & polite, and all went smoothly and quickly.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

I had originally told the officer I didn't need the ALP the first time (not sure where my brain was that day)...when I requested dropping the 'target and hunting' at the renewal, I was told by the firearms officer and I quote, "The laws have changed in Massachusetts, a Class A is a Class A. If thats what you are applying for then thats what you get, a Class A Hi-cap/ license to carry."
The officer was friendly, informative, & polite, and all went smoothly and quickly.

he is still misinformed, nut it worked to your advantage

 

[Viking Kitten]

things changing for better in Belmont?

My other half was in need of some FA-10 forms and went to Belmont P.D. to see if they had them.

Not only did they have a bunch which they handed over with smiles all around, but also they had the regular old LTC/FID applications out on a table for anyone who wanted to take one.

Does that perchance signal a change in their attitude toward gun ownership?

 

[HooVooLoo]

Carver still true green?

Read my story here.

Carver is probably still green, but how green is a 9-week delay? Is that fairly common overall in green towns?

Also, I noticed, when the dispatcher was flipping through the processed licenses, that some had a white background on the upper portion where it reads "Commonwealth of Mass", and others had a red background.
What is the difference?

 

[bostonasphalt2]

Read my story here.

It probably still is green, but how green is a 9-week delay? Is that fairly common overall in green towns?

Also, I noticed, when the dispatcher was flipping through the processed licenses, that some had a white background on the upper portion where it reads "Commonwealth of Mass", and others had a red background.
What is the difference?

if it has a red stripe along it at the top where it tells you which type of ID it is, then it is an FID restricted to Chemical Propellent.

 

[Roadglide]

Haven't read all the posts but I did notice someone said Walpole was green. I don't have any personal experience but the Walpole PD website says if you are applying for an unrestricted A your application must be accompanied by a letter as to why you feel you or your families lives are in danger and have a need to carry. Doesn't sound very green to me.

 

[Capo2186]

Danvers - BLACK

Danvers WILL NOT issue a class a ltc (even restricted) to anyone under 25 years old. I have a LTC Class B because of this and have to wait a few years to apply for a class A.

 

[Scrivener]

Haven't read all the posts but I did notice someone said Walpole was green. I don't have any personal experience but the Walpole PD website says if you are applying for an unrestricted A your application must be accompanied by a letter as to why you feel you or your families lives are in danger and have a need to carry. Doesn't sound very green to me.

It isn't.

Haven't checked lately, but Walpole also demands multiple letters, as well as other crap.

 

[RemingtonUNH]

Cohasset is still a red town. Applied for ALP and will be getting a restricted Class A LTC - "Hunting and Target" sometime next week.

 

[jaypap]

Ludlow is green always been easy to do bussiness with and LTC-A all lawful purposes no problem.

 

[Ricochet]

This is probably old news but Groton is still green

 

[30 cal slut]

this probably isn't all that helpful, but back in 1992, while i was living (as a resident of) Wellesley ... the Chief was signing off on (what was then LTC for ALP) ... for everyone who applied. don't know if he's still around.

and that, weirdly enough, is where i got my first ccw, ever.

 

[malcolm]

Wilmington is still green, licensing officer was very professional and nice, permit issued within 30 days. The only recommendation I have is to make sure to follow up with the phone calls when they tell you to. The steps are listed on their website at www.wpd.org. They want you to call 10 days after dropping off the app, and then 30 days after being fingerprinted. Both times I made these calls the secretary was very nice and helpful and returned my calls promptly if necessary.

 

[james13]

Based on my experience I would say that Franklin is very green. The whole process was very laid back; I called up on a Thursday and booked an appointment with the deputy chief on the following Monday. The appointment took less than 30 minutes, including pictures and fingerprinting. Four weeks later I received my LTC-A (ALP).

 

[Cross-X]

Restrictions: None is the new lingo for ALP.

 

[dwarven1]

Based on my experience I would say that Franklin is very green. The whole process was very laid back; I called up on a Thursday and booked an appointment with the deputy chief on the following Monday. The appointment took less than 30 minutes, including pictures and fingerprinting. Four weeks later I received my LTC-A (ALP).

If we've gotta have permits, that's the way it should go.

 

[Scrivener]

Franklin is almost as good as Wrentham was (I have no licensing feedback on the new chief, but do not expect major changes).

Compare Franklin and Wrentham to their neighbors; Walpole, Sharon and Plainville. Very similar communities in the same county; wildly disparate licensing procedures.

But no; it's not "arbitrary and capricious."

 

[C-pher]

Yea, my wife went into North Attleboro to get her permit. She had her cert from alomst one full year ago.

I dropped her off, went up to the Dunkies across from DQ. I was just leaving the Drive Trough when I got a call from here. She was all done and wanting me to pick her up.

About three or four weeks later we got a call for her to pick it up. She got LTC-A:None

She did say when he asked her if she was going for Pepper Spray, and she said that it was for her LTC, he was pretty impressed.


One thing that I like about North...if he's not busy, you can go in right then and there. He's had me come in on a Sunday because he was at the station. Which is great, as I didn't have to take off work to renew.

 

[HooVooLoo]

Restrictions: None is the new lingo for ALP.

Concurred. My recently issued ALP states "Restrictions: None".

 

[Len-2A Training]

One thing that I like about North...if he's not busy, you can go in right then and there. He's had me come in on a Sunday because he was at the station. Which is great, as I didn't have to take off work to renew.

Congrats to Nicole!

Sigh, the old days. We used to have a chief like that . . . he'd come back to the station after supper or on the weekend just to meet up with folks that wanted to get their permits. He did believe in the "serve" part of "protect and serve". It certainly isn't like that any more!

 

[MrsWildweasel]

Congrats to Nicole!

Sigh, the old days. We used to have a chief like that . . . he'd come back to the station after supper or on the weekend just to meet up with folks that wanted to get their permits. He did believe in the "serve" part of "protect and serve". It certainly isn't like that any more!

Just don't live in a small enough town. Our licenses get hand delivered too when they come in.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

Congrats to Nicole!

Sigh, the old days. We used to have a chief like that . . . he'd come back to the station after supper or on the weekend just to meet up with folks that wanted to get their permits. He did believe in the "serve" part of "protect and serve". It certainly isn't like that any more!

which town would that be?

 

[Viking Kitten]

My other half was in need of some FA-10 forms and went to Belmont P.D. to see if they had them.

Not only did they have a bunch which they handed over with smiles all around, but also they had the regular old LTC/FID applications out on a table for anyone who wanted to take one.

Does that perchance signal a change in their attitude toward gun ownership?

I called the licensing officer in Belmont today, asked him what happens when someone moves in with an unrestricted and needs to renew in Belmont.

He said that he just generally renews what the person already had - so if you move in with an unrestricted, that's what you get when you renew in Belmont.