Guide to gun rights in your Massachusetts town

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I thought so too, unfortunately the local politicians don't feel the need to follow the laws. In RI you can apply through your town or the AG. From what I have heard, the AG has currently stopped taking applications because of the election, and it will probably get worse with the new AG. The Chief for my town has personally told me that the powers of the town have told him not to issue and have all applicants apply via the AG.

I don't want to discuss this any further as this thread is for MA and not RI.
 
Hey Type,

Do you happen to know of any RI forums on which I can follow this? I find it quite fascinating, a) because I like to read up on the gun laws in various states and b). RI is a state I've thought about relocating to. If what you're telling me is true, perhaps I should reconsider.
 
When I picked up my Application packet from Holbrook PD, it had a cover letter saying that the 5 letters were needed, I actually emailed the Licencing Officer and when i talked to him he told me about the 5 letters, i got them, made an appointment, and to the best of my knowledge none of the five were contacted.

my interview went smooth, picture, fingerprints,etc. had my LTC-A in 31 days. This was back in January I dont think things have changed.
 
Masssucks said:
No, They didn't tell me jack shit other than that they want me to jump through all these hoops. It is total BS that Holbrook is colored green. It is the type of town that treat you like a second class citizen unless you have the right last name or belong to the old boys network.

If you're in the market for a house, you can have mine. I'll hand the keys over to you right now.
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I understand your frustration completely, but that isnt what the color system means....
 
KOMA829 said:
When I picked up my Application packet from Holbrook PD, it had a cover letter saying that the 5 letters were needed, I actually emailed the Licencing Officer and when i talked to him he told me about the 5 letters, i got them, made an appointment, and to the best of my knowledge none of the five were contacted.

my interview went smooth, picture, fingerprints,etc. had my LTC-A in 31 days. This was back in January I dont think things have changed.
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Restrictions:none?
 
My 21 yr old son just got his A in Hamilton, no restrictions, no BS - the Sergeant took his application, picture and prints in one session. Took about 4 weeks. There is at least 1 other post on this site from earlier this year claiming similar results. BTW, I moved into the town with a class A & did all the required notifications, and they were fine with it.
 
mogarbage said:
I see that Quincy is green.
Is that a blanket including North Quincy, Wollaston, and Quincy Center areas?
Thanks
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There is only one Quincy Police Department. Sections of the city all deal with the same people and same set of rules.
 
Thanks Lens, good to know.
I have only been down there once to look at apartment, and only saw 1 cruiser marked Quincy while in North Quincy. Should have figured it was similar to the Brighton/Allston being Boston schematics
 
Hi guys and girls. Rather new so I hope I may get some help. My wife and I both would like to get our first LTC Class A, unrestricted. We currently live in Boston. We are planning on moving in the next 9-12 months. Would it be best for me to wait and move to a green town, while getting some training and certifications?

I want to be able to protect my family in my home and not have an issue with the gray laws of Mass. I would also be joining a Gun club and want to start turkey hunting.

Any help would be very appreciated.

Thank you,

- Gray
 
Welcome Gray! IMHO, I would wait. When you receive your (restricted) license in Boston, you are potentially stuck with it for 5-6 years. When you move, the original issuing authority (Boston) controls your license until expiration. You would need to convince them to expire your license early, thereby allowing you to re-apply in your new, "green" town (for another $100). I wouldn't bet 4-5 years of a restricted license on the hope that they would expire it early. In the interim, I would suggest getting a FID, and a shotgun for home defense.
 
Thank you Kevlar. I think I will just do that. I knew that was what I wanted to do, but I wanted to get an educated and well thought out response that would reasure me on my choice. (That's why I asked here.)

Thank you.

- Gray
 
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Barnstable may be starting to be less of a green town. I applied Oct 09' and got my license within 40 days with no issues. My friend applied Oct 1st, 10 and its has been 60 days, and an officer showed up at his house today. He [the officer] asked more questions regarding he reason of the application. Then he made him sign the application again and said it would be an additional 3-4 weeks.

Also apparently "ALP" is no longer an acceptable reason on the application.
 
My friend just talked to the police chief in Avon, MA and was told that he will only issue him a hunting license because of his age (He's 22). I assume that means FID or LTC-B only...
 
schind said:
My friend just talked to the police chief in Avon, MA and was told that he will only issue him a hunting license because of his age (He's 22). I assume that means FID or LTC-B only...
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It could also mean a restricted-A.... no way to know without him asking the Chief. There are a ton of red towns that do restricted A, though.

-Mike
 
Arlington still looks green

Arlington appears to still be pretty green. The LTC application packet cover letter even says "Arlington generally issues licenses 'for all lawful purposes'" and the only non-statutory thing they require is that you read the AG's 2-page summary of MA deadly force law and sign that you read it.

I was in the other day for my renewal "interview" and it wasn't even with a police officer this time (it was last time). It was just a records dept. clerk entering my written application info verbatim into MIRCS, taking my picture and electronic fingerprint and then hitting the button on the MIRCS webpage to "Submit for LEO review".

Now, the true test will be in however many weeks when the new license shows up of course.
 
lagrangian said:
Arlington appears to still be pretty green.
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I'd be VERY surprised if any green towns started trending red at the point. Things are going pretty much in one direction as we seem to be getting reports that even towns like Somerville, Medford, and others are starting to issue unrestricted LTCs.

A town that normally and habitually issues unrestricted permits is going to be more exposed to law suits by reversing their policies. That's not to say that some towns won't keep restrictions for people under 25 of folks with some kind of history. But once a town opens that door and routinely issues unrestricted permits, they're going to have a hard time justifying a wholesale policy change. This is why some towns are sticking to their guns so tenaciously. Once they let their finger out of they dyke......

Can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
I'd be VERY surprised if any green towns started trending red at the point.
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I wouldn't. All it takes is an anti gun douche-chief to get installed in a big dump city where they don't fear any lawsuits.

[tinfoil]

Of course, there is the anti gun conspiracy angle, which is, that the antis are exerting influence on some of these douche chiefs in some kind of a lame attempt to forestall any kind of case law against them using the 2nd amendment.... or at least, the antis might be saying "infringe, but don't put your infringement outside the realm of "currently legal infringement" whatever the hell that is....

Then there is the Glidden MCOPA thing which basically says "pssssst.... stop acting like retards or you will lose discretionary power altogether". ...

ETA: FWIW in the past year or so I can think of at least one town that "went red" which is Ayer, or at least according to the reports. Fitchburg has also gotten worse under demoura, but the preliminary evidence seems to indicate most of the problems in Fitchburg are procedural than anything else. (eg, waiting 9000 days to get a licensing appointment).

-Mike
 
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drgrant said:
I wouldn't. All it takes is an anti gun douche-chief to get installed in a big dump city where they don't fear any lawsuits.
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Yeah, really. That's why I had been keeping my eyes and ears open for any sign of the Arlington CLEO leaving (with the idea of submitting an early renewal if need be). He has a good philosophy. He told me in person that his view is that you're your either sane enough to have a gun or you're not, so he's basically ALP or deny.

But these days Arlington is right up there with Cambridge and Amherst for lefty-ness so I'm sort of amazed that it's green. I guess the town manager and selectmen didn't bother to ask about firearms licensing policy when they hired him. I'm definitely worried about what happens once he eventually does move on (a couple of years ago he was a finalist somewhere else but it fell through) especially in light of the former gunsmith/gunshop in town that got shut down after someone committed suicide on the store's private, not properly registered (IIRC) downstairs range. I wonder if the powers-that-be will push for a more restrictive CLEO. I certainly believe that if the ultra-blues in town realized Arlington was green they'd be up in arms against it, but since they would never dream of a getting license themselves they probably assume Arlington is a red or black town.
 
drgrant said:
I wouldn't. All it takes is an anti gun douche-chief to get installed in a big dump city where they don't fear any lawsuits.
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To the extent that happens from here on out, it will be the exception, not the rule. (BTW Cambridge has been known to issue unrestricted permits outside what are thought to the normal justifications.)

I'll just go one better in that I'd like to personally hear from anyone that having been issued an unrestricted license is then issued a restricted license upon renewal - same town or new town, don't care as long as it's current and there are to exigent circumstances.
 
Knuckle Dragger said:
To the extent that happens from here on out, it will be the exception, not the rule.
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Well, only because of the fact that chief attrition/turnover isn't that dramatic, and probably over half of them aren't full blown antis or don't care much... they just view it as an admin function of their PD. I don't think firearms licensing is a "hot button issue" in most PDs... although I would wager that most of the chiefs biggest whine about it is that they have to waste staff time doing it and they don't get very well compensated for it. Permits are probably a net loss for a PD, especially if they use a real LEO to process them. This also makes me wonder if there is an alternative theory to some red towns... maybe the CLEO is anti, but they also want to shoo away applicants. That one (Andover?) that requires a doctors letter comes to mind. They know that 95% won't bother and will just go away, reducing the volume of licenses they have to deal with. [thinking]

(BTW Cambridge has been known to issue unrestricted permits outside what are thought to the normal justifications.)
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So, their box is bigger, still doesn't stop them from being communist red.

I'll just go one better in that I'd like to personally hear from anyone that having been issued an unrestricted license is then issued a restricted license upon renewal - same town or new town, don't care as long as it's current and there are to exigent circumstances.
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Want a good plaintiff? Get joe average with an unrestricted A close to renewal and move him into Watertown, and watch the renewal downgrade fun begin... Boston or Brookline for that matter, too. I would bet that Canton does it all the time, too.

-Mike
 
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Serapis said:
Quincy went green. They did a complete 180.
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They're not completely green, they still discriminate against 20-somethings on first issue, I think. That said. it is a big change... but the old chief had to be punted out for it to happen. GOAL and others have wailed on Quincy for years.

-Mike
 
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