I broke the law the other day

[Steve from westford]

Im a NH resident so obviously I can stop at a gun shop and buy whatever I want.
My office is in Westford MA. I stopped at a gun shop on the way to to office the other day and bought a box of 9mm shells and a pack of targets, then drove to office.

Had I stopped on the way home instead of the way to work , Everything would have been perfectly legal.
By stopping on the way in I became a criminal, thats screwed up!

 

[Chipperman]

You don't have a non-resident MA license?

 

[daveInME]

...and bought a box of 9mm shells and a pack of targets, then drove to office.

it's illegal to have ammunition in your car in MA?????

 

[SiameseRat]

it's illegal to have ammunition in your car in MA?????

It is if you don't have at least a MA FID. If he doesn't have a MA non-res, then yes, he broke the law...


(which I wouldn't mention in public if you don't, because you never know who's lurking...)

 

[Admin]

it's illegal to have ammunition in your car in MA?????

Well this is communism...

 

[daveInME]

so if I drove to Mass to shoot (snow balls chance in hell in that happening) cowboy action at Harvard, then I'd be breaking Mass law?

 

[drgrant]

so if I drove to Mass to shoot (snow balls chance in hell in that happening) cowboy action at Harvard, then I'd be breaking Mass law?

No, not as long as the event is formalized somehow. Get a flyer for the
event and your butt is covered at that point. (Theres an exception in MGL
for formal competition... )

-Mike

 

[Thor67]

I don't think it is illegal to do this. The ammo and/or firearm may need to be stored in the trunk though.

Check out: http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/Federal/Read.aspx?id=59

 

[firtree]

I don't think it is illegal to do this. The ammo and/or firearm may need to be stored in the trunk though.

Check out: http://www.nraila.org/GunLaws/Federal/Read.aspx?id=59

This does not apply in this case since his destination was in Massachusetts.
The safe passage law only allows for passage between two location where
your firearms are legal.

 

[Lynne]

so if I drove to Mass to shoot (snow balls chance in hell in that happening) cowboy action at Harvard, then I'd be breaking Mass law?

You need to have your firearm locked and secured with the ammo separate. You need to have a flyer advertising that it's a sanctioned event (competition). You drive to the location. You drive immediately home after the event.

And, as a warning to any non-MA person who doesn't have a MA NR license. You can't even have an empty cartridge case in your possession (yes, really) if you are not licensed.

 

[daveInME]

And, as a warning to any non-MA person who doesn't have a MA NR license. You can't even have an empty cartridge case in your possession (yes, really) if you are not licensed.

that does it, I'm never coming to Mass again. (well at least not in my car, I have to go there more often then I'd like in the ambulance)

I always leave my ammo bags in the trunk of my car...and occasionally a gun too, but the ammo just stays there. and I would say there's a better then 50% chance of finding an empty case or even a (GASP ) loose bullet or 2 somewhere in the car that's gotten loose from the bag.

Christ sakes pretty soon you'll be telling me that you can't fart down there without getting arrested for terrorizing with a WMD gas attack.

 

[Lynne]

Christ sakes pretty soon you'll be telling me that you can't fart down there without getting arrested for terrorizing with a WMD gas attack.

No, not yet anyway. Give Deval some time tho.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Yup, the other day I noticed a "spill" from a box full of .38Sp ammo in my trunk. After putting all the loose ammo in the box, I got the idea to check under the trunk liner, in the well for the spare tire. There had to be at least 20 rds of .38Sp rolling around under the tire, etc.

If anyone driving the car doesn't have a MA LTC, this is an "illegal condition" that could lead to a jail sentence more serious than murder! Yes, this state is totally F'd up! Next question?

 

[tele_mark]

Wow! To think how many good, decent , honest and hard working Sanitary Engineers I've turned into criminals just by throwing brass past its useful life into the thrash.

 

[ScottS]

I heard of a guy who inadvertently broke the law twice in MA.

First, he put an OC cannister in a pocket on the driver's side door of his wife's truck for her protection, and thought nothing of it, as it was simply over-the-counter Fox Labs OC. His wife occasionally drove the truck to MA to take their daughter ice skating at a local well-known rink. Turns out MA considers OC as a firearm and requires at least an FID for possession, so they had been unknowingly in violation each time they went through Checkpoint Charlie. I heard they've subsequently removed the OC and no longer use the rink in MA.

Second, I heard he went to shoot an IDPA classifier in MA, and after printing out the announcement (posted on a certain Yahoo Group), locking his ammo and unloaded guns in the trunk IAW MGL's, again processed through Checkpoint Charlie to shoot the match. Turns out he was shooting ESP, and was using his made-post-1994 16-round magazines, and a few weeks later he found out that post-1994 high capacity magazines are never allowed in MA, even to shoot a sanctioned match. I heard he vowed to never shoot ESP in MA again.

Anyway, this is what I heard.

 

[Cross-X]

Another little datapoint: Massachusetts does not offer FID cards to non-residents. Non-res. LTCs are available, though, at a cost of $100/year.

Such a deal!

 

[Steve from westford]

You can't even have an empty cartridge case in your possession (yes, really) if you are not licensed.[/QUOTE]

That I never knew, I always wear chippawa boots with a lot of grip, sometimes at the range 1 will get stuck in my boots and fall of on floor of the truck. I also have a bad habbit of picking up empty shotgun shells when im bird hunting and just tossing them into the bed of the truck. Guess Ill have to be more carefull when traveling to communismachusetts

 

[centermass181]

it's illegal to have ammunition in your car in MA?????

ahh, yeah.....God only knows what we could do with it.

Be advised, we cant have casings either....... Daddy says so..

 

[reinbeau]

That I never knew, I always wear chippawa boots with a lot of grip, sometimes at the range 1 will get stuck in my boots and fall of on floor of the truck.

Oh, the horror of it, I can't believe they let people like you walk the streets!













Give me a friggin' break. To think someone might go to jail because they walked on a casing and it stuck in their boot. This state sucks!

 

[matt]

Wow! To think how many good, decent , honest and hard working Sanitary Engineers I've turned into criminals just by throwing brass past its useful life into the thrash.

you and me both!

 

[Lynne]

Give me a friggin' break. To think someone might go to jail because they walked on a casing and it stuck in their boot. This state sucks!

Yes, unbelieveable as it may be. The only thing I haven't quite figured out as yet is how is that empty casing with a used primer is going to kill me, or a multitude of others by those who're carrying it around (in boot or otherwise). This state not only sucks, it also bites the big one and blows.

 

[wheelgun]

And, as a warning to any non-MA person who doesn't have a MA NR license. You can't even have an empty cartridge case in your possession (yes, really) if you are not licensed.

I have to admit I never heard or read of this. Can you point me to the section of the MGL that states it?

 

[Lynne]

I have to admit I never heard or read of this. Can you point me to the section of the MGL that states it?

Unlike some on this forum, I don't have the chapter numbers memorized and I'm not sure where it's located in the MGL's, however, it's a component and that's a no-no.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Check the MGLs definition of ammunition and then check the penalties for possession of ammunition/components without a proper LTC/FID!

 

[wheelgun]

Check the MGLs definition of ammunition and then check the penalties for possession of ammunition/components without a proper LTC/FID!

Thanks, it's right at the top of chapter 140, section 121. I've read it before, but never really noticed that "cartridge cases" were included in the definition of ammunition. Hard to believe that possession of little cylindrical pieces of metal can be made illegal.

I realize this really belongs in the Gun Laws forum, but while I'm here, does this mean that most mail order houses won't even ship brass to Mass?

 

[Lynne]

I realize this really belongs in the Gun Laws forum, but while I'm here, does this mean that most mail order houses won't even ship brass to Mass?

Brass shouldn't be a problem with them. It was just the ammo they got grief over. But then again, most dealers/suppliers just don't want to deal with MA. Can't say I blame them.

 

[Len-2A Training]

True, most won't sell ANY components to MA.

I even know of a gun club where they used to collect and sell the scrap brass to a metals salvage company and use the money to fund their Juniors program. After the 1998 law passed, the salvage company (in the Brockton area) refused any more ammo components as they were worried about the legal implications of possessing the brass without all employees having LTCs! I shit you not!

 

[dd]

As part of our Junior Program I *strongly* announce to one and all (parents are usually there for the initial session) that the kids may not take used cases due to the law we are discussing. Wish someone would announce this at the Vetrans and Memorial Day ceremonies where the kids all scrounge the empty blank cases.
This might make the general public realize how stupid these laws are.

GOAL is filing bills to change these provisions so that out of state companies will be able to sell us components. As of a few years ago, Midway refused my order for new cartridge cases.

Also, the MA LTC for non-residents will not be good for a year since it always seems to take a few months to process the application, even for a renewal.

It is interesting when I reach into my pocket for some change and find loaded ammo or empty .22 rf cases that bounce into my pocket from the shooting station dividers. Reaction of clerks is often hilarious.

 

[highlander]

where I work no firearms,cases etc. We have random searches of vehicles usually when leaving one of the guys I work with was stopped and car searched guard found a 12 ga shotgun shell in
he well of the spare tire he was read the riot act he missed it when he cleaned out the trunk after hunting honest mistake.
Head of security and the union played lets make a deal he lost a days pay,but he informed them that he could have had the guard ARRESTED for handling the shell without an FID/LTC
which is why IMHO he lost 1 days pay rather than a 3-5 day suspension. And yes some of the guards are that anal

 

[dwarven1]

Good grief, where do you work that they search your car??