Guide to gun rights in your Massachusetts town

[bostonasphalt2]

I just threw this together because I'm moving back to the Boston area in a few months and was interested. Everything is taken from the first post except for Somerville which I changed to orange due to the post I just read (below the pic, quoted). Working on doing a larger one for the entire state just to see how it looks

Lived in Brighton when I got my LTC-A No Carry, moved to Watertown, now living up by NH in a red town, but moving back to Boston area (trying to find a green town where I can take the T into the city for work) in the summer.

Wow...



How hard is it to get Boston to expire the license? Can you contact the new town and go through the process, then have the new town call Boston once they do all your paperwork and are about to issue you a LTC-A ALP? Or do you have to chance it and expire it yourself?

If you want T access, try either Arlington, or perhaps Malden.

 

[Blitz1]

It aint too pretty but here we are... (click it for larger version)

Reps. There was one before but I believe it became to hard to maintain.

 

[Moderator]

Outstanding job Eric! If you plan on keeping this updated I will throw this up in the original post.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Let's keep an eye on Carlisle. A student of mine recently got unrestricted after interviewing with an LT while the chief and licensing officer (both since quit) were on suspension. The student's wife will apply shortly, let's see how she does.

 

[mogarbage]

Hey Eric great job on the color code!
I picked up on your project and cleaned it up a bit, hope you don't mind.
Also, Type01313, Boxboro is Boxborough.

 

[eric_07]

awesome job! thanks for doing that. I would just suggest we put it at a permalink so we don't have to update the image link in the OP every time we update the map. if you don't have a web host we can figure out how to permalink it somewhere (I could always do it).

 

[Moderator]

Also, Type01313, Boxboro is Boxborough.

I just grabbed a list of towns in MA. That's the way they spelled it. It's very common to have two different spellings just like Foxboro. It's really not a big deal.

ETA; Your picture looks good but your colors don't match those listed in the OP

 

[mogarbage]

oh sorry man i wasnt trying to bust your balls. im by no means a native new englander and didnt know abiut the multiple spellings. only reason i mentioned it is because i spent a good 10 mins looking for the city and had to turn to google maps lol

ill fix up the colors when i get home tonight to keep with the color coded legend. didnt even think about that outside of the standard red and green.

this was a good idea eric. all credit goes to you. a fixed link would be a good idea in case of updates

 

[exo]

I believe under Chief Wynn Pittsfield can now be considered Green.

 

[GML]

I was told by a friend that if I appealed my sporting Class B license, the chief had to prove why I shouldn't be allowed to have a Class A unrestricted. Any truth to this? Think it would be worth doing?

 

[basso]

I tried to put together an interactive map showing likelihood to obtain an LTC (ALP) in MA cities and towns, along with data on rate of LTC/FID issuance and absolute # of licenses in each town. Came out OK, but the tool I used (ManyEyes) doesn't let you adjust color values in visualizations, so the colors shown for each town don't align with the colors we're used to talking about here.

Here it is, not sure if I'm going to leave it up.

http://www-958.ibm.com/software/dat...alizations/ltc-experiences-in-ma-cities-towns

 

[terraformer]

I was told by a friend that if I appealed my sporting Class B license, the chief had to prove why I shouldn't be allowed to have a Class A unrestricted. Any truth to this? Think it would be worth doing?

That is how it should be, not how it is at this moment.

 

[M1911]

I was told by a friend that if I appealed my sporting Class B license, the chief had to prove why I shouldn't be allowed to have a Class A unrestricted. Any truth to this?

Nope.

Think it would be worth doing?

Best to contact a MA firearms attorney to see if they think you have a chance at a successful appeal.

 

[GML]

That is how it should be, not how it is at this moment.

Nope.


Best to contact a MA firearms attorney to see if they think you have a chance at a successful appeal.

I was afraid it sounded too reasonable to be true.

 

[solloron1]

I just finished an image of all the Massachusetts towns/cities and their corresponding color. It looks like basso was going for the same thing and has some more detail on the success rate of which license you will get. I'm a visual person so I made this, if you see any errors let me know and I will fix it. Not displaying correctly and I can't get it as an attachment (too big). Any Ideas? I'll be linking to it for now.

MA Towns & Cities License Colors

 

[Len-2A Training]

Kudos to those creating the maps.

A few things that make it problematic for ANY chart/map to be accurate:

- Some cities/towns discriminate on age. e.g. Quincy is "green" if you are >25, restricted otherwise.

- Some cities/towns may restrict on first application but later will issue unrestricted either on renewal or at some future time (6 mos, 2 years-Brockton, etc.).

- Many that will restrict will NOT do so for someone who is renewing an already unrestricted LTC.

- Some demand doctor letters, lists of guns, notarized letters of reference, etc. Some of these may issue unrestricted after jumping thru those hoops.

- Some will refuse to void a LTC if a person moved and the new town is willing to issue unrestricted. What's darker than Black, as IMNSHO those that do this deserve a very special place in Hell!

So, I guess the best answer to the reader is to use the info judiciously and realize that it's not cast in concrete (for better or worse).

 

[Len-2A Training]

Just be aware that the pro-gun Chief of Wellfleet retired ~4 months ago. No idea who's in charge now or if that has changed anything.

 

[DMan7]

I just finished an image of all the Massachusetts towns/cities and their corresponding color. It looks like basso was going for the same thing and has some more detail on the success rate of which license you will get. I'm a visual person so I made this, if you see any errors let me know and I will fix it. Not displaying correctly and I can't get it as an attachment (too big). Any Ideas? I'll be linking to it for now.

MA Towns & Cities License Colors

Great effort - thank you!

One suggestion - adjust the color scheme to something everyone recognizes. Stoplight - Red Yellow Green.

Red - No/Usually No
Yellow - Complications/Hassles
Green - Generally Yes
White - No info

 

[Moderator]

Great effort - thank you!

One suggestion - adjust the color scheme to something everyone recognizes. Stoplight - Red Yellow Green.

Red - No/Usually No
Yellow - Complications/Hassles
Green - Generally Yes
White - No info

There is already a system that has been in place for a few years.

 

[drgrant]

One problem with Eric's map is it doesn't reflect the inversions on Ayer (rumored to have gone red) and Winchendon's changes. (Supposedly winchendon is no longer red, but might now be considered yellow).

-Mike

 

[CBOGMA]

I just finished an image of all the Massachusetts towns/cities and their corresponding color. It looks like basso was going for the same thing and has some more detail on the success rate of which license you will get. I'm a visual person so I made this, if you see any errors let me know and I will fix it. Not displaying correctly and I can't get it as an attachment (too big). Any Ideas? I'll be linking to it for now.

MA Towns & Cities License Colors

Nice visualization. Would be nice to see the red towns "go Green" someday.

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

I need some input and I really don't want to go through 2,300 posts. My oldest friend finally got on the bandwagon, he did his State Police safety course today. He lives in Norwell , which is good, but how does he go about applying. He told me he was going to download the app. and mail it in. In Beverly, we make an appointment with Lt.Terry, then we go to the station and he asks each question then types it directly into the computer. I wasn't exactly sure how to interpret some of the questions, so filling it out with him was extremely helpful.

I just want my friend to have the benefit of the NES collective Wisdom. I've been bugging him for years to do this. We grew up in Boxford back in the 60's & 70's and shot BB guns & .22's when Mass was a little more lax. I wonder what finally got him to take the test? Maybe the book I sent him for X-Mas scared the crap out of him; Patriots, By James Wesley Rawles .

 

[bostonasphalt2]

I need some input and I really don't want to go through 2,300 posts. My oldest friend finally got on the bandwagon, he did his State Police safety course today. He lives in Norwell , which is good, but how does he go about applying. He told me he was going to download the app. and mail it in. In Beverly, we make an appointment with Lt.Terry, then we go to the station and he asks each question then types it directly into the computer. I wasn't exactly sure how to interpret some of the questions, so filling it out with him was extremely helpful.

I just want my friend to have the benefit of the NES collective Wisdom. I've been bugging him for years to do this. We grew up in Boxford back in the 60's & 70's and shot BB guns & .22's when Mass was a little more lax. I wonder what finally got him to take the test? Maybe the book I sent him for X-Mas scared the crap out of him; Patriots, By James Wesley Rawles .

Umm, he does like anyone in any other town does: he goes to the PD and tells them what he is there for.......Is this a trick question?

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

Umm, he does like anyone in any other town does: he goes to the PD and tells them what he is there for.......Is this a trick question?

No, but when he told me he was going to fill out the app. & drop it in the mail, I asked him to hold up as that's not how I did mine, but I only know about Beverly. Your telling me in Norwell, he should fill out the app. & bring it to the PD and not to mail the app, correct?

 

[bostonasphalt2]

No, but when he told me he was going to fill out the app. & drop it in the mail, I asked him to hold up as that's not how I did mine, but I only know about Beverly. Your telling me in Norwell, he should fill out the app. & bring it to the PD and not to mail the app, correct?

Mailing it in never crossed my mind when I applied. Because what if the town wants other things? or what if the application gets lost? Besides you get fingerprinted (for your first permit, anyways) and your picture taken so going in person would be required for that hehe

 

[rudiewhitebwoy]

Mailing it in never crossed my mind when I applied. Because what if the town wants other things? or what if the application gets lost? Besides you get fingerprinted (for your first permit, anyways) and your picture taken so going in person would be required for that hehe

He's bringing it in Monday.

 

[zuren]

As of 2010, Waltham is still very much Red. I applied and received a restricted Hunting/Target LTC-A with the blanket disclaimer, "we don't give out ALP/None permits to first time applicants."

I didn't know it at the time I applied but 2 months later I moved to Lincoln that is still Green. I kick myself everyday about this but hind sight is always 20/20.

I will say that Lincoln did not seem open or interested in helping me apply for a new permit for All Lawful Purposes when I approached them a few months ago. I had read reports here at NES where guys had moved from a red to a green town and the new town worked with them to get the upgraded permit. My questions were met with a lot of, "I don't know. I'll have to look into that. I'll have to talk to the CoP". Waltham wanted to see something in writing from Lincoln before considering doing anything on their end. My phone messages eventually stopped being returned. I may broach the subject again in couple months but I'm not hopeful. Just FYI.

 

[ryan81986]

From their application the only people that get an unrestricted in Newton are cops. So much for that idea.

 

[amb]

From their application the only people that get an unrestricted in Newton are cops. So much for that idea.

I've seen multiple unrestricted Newton licenses issued to non-cops. Uphill battle, though.

 

[electricman]

Woburn is tough. Was just issued "none" but had to provide a business certificate , letter to chief about my business, deposit slips, and 3 letters of reference from non family. License officer was a pleasure to deal with.