MA Gun Laws

My favorite is the distance from a roadway. I have plenty of property to shoot, but due to the distances requirement I would actually have to shoot AT the road instead of away from it.

Gotta love the brilliance of MA laws.

On a positive note, GAMO just added a .22 caliber airgun to their Whisper line. So VERY tempted.
 
Chris said:
My favorite is the distance from a roadway. I have plenty of property to shoot, but due to the distances requirement I would actually have to shoot AT the road instead of away from it.

Gotta love the brilliance of MA laws.

On a positive note, GAMO just added a .22 caliber airgun to their Whisper line. So VERY tempted.
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Also not allowed in police stations and federal bulidings common sense i know... also post offices..
 
vaccaroja said:
Also not allowed in police stations and federal bulidings common sense i know... also post offices..
Click to expand...

Police stations are not statutorily listed in MGL. There are some PDs in MA that may have metal detectors which obviously precludes firearms. (IIRC, Boston PD is like this... )

Post Office is a national issue that has never really been tested/resolved. Some lawyers say no, others say yes. (Hint: There is more to this
issue than the silly, misleading sign you see at the post office saying no firearms. )

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
Police stations are not statutorily listed in MGL. There are some PDs in MA that may have metal detectors which obviously precludes firearms. (IIRC, Boston PD is like this... )

Post Office is a national issue that has never really been tested/resolved. Some lawyers say no, others say yes. (Hint: There is more to this
issue than the silly, misleading sign you see at the post office saying no firearms. )

-Mike
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i am aware thank you..
 
Blackdeek2006 said:
Is there a proximity to school property that must be maintained?
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Not if you possess a LTC.

vaccaroja said:
Also not allowed in police stations and federal bulidings common sense i know... also post offices..
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Please quote MGL on police stations? [Hint: No such law exists in MA, although it is the law in FL and other places.]

Fed Bldgs is not being addressed here, as it is NOT MA law, but Fed Law in play (please note both the sub-forum title as well as the title of this thread). The actual USC allows firearms if for legitimate purposes, but interpretations vary and thus caution is advised. The signs in USPOs intentionally skew the law by not mentioning the exemption (which would probably just add to the confusion anyway).
 
A question about the MA requirement for a "basic firearm safety certificate" for an LTC. Does that course have to be done in MA? Could my wife take a Women on Target course in Hartford CT (closer to us than all the Eastern MA sites) and have it count for her MA LTC app?
 
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You need a MSP Trainer Certificate. So if the trainer is certified to issue such a certificate, it wouldn't matter where the course is taken. NRA Certificates are NOT acceptable to MA for a LTC or FID (although some of the courses are the same).
 
LenS said:
Not if you possess a LTC.



Please quote MGL on police stations? [Hint: No such law exists in MA, although it is the law in FL and other places.]

Fed Bldgs is not being addressed here, as it is NOT MA law, but Fed Law in play (please note both the sub-forum title as well as the title of this thread). The actual USC allows firearms if for legitimate purposes, but interpretations vary and thus caution is advised. The signs in USPOs intentionally skew the law by not mentioning the exemption (which would probably just add to the confusion anyway).
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why dont you test that theory, i think you are wrong. let me know how it goes.
 
vaccaroja said:
why dont you test that theory, i think you are wrong. let me know how it goes.
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Which theory are you referring to? Police stations or post offices?

If you are suggesting it is illegal to carry in police stations, then post a link to the Mass General Law. (Hint: there is none). Now, police officers may not want you to carry in a police station and thus may find a creative charge if you are discovered. But there is no law against it.

As for post offices, this has been discussed here at length, and Len is correct that interpretations vary. If you feel that it is settled, then post a link to a precedent or appellate decision.
 
vaccaroja said:
why dont you test that theory, i think you are wrong. let me know how it goes.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't want to guess how many police stations I've been in while armed or how many times. I do it on a regular basis, when needed for one reason or another.

It's a non-issue. No law against it, I don't announce it, if asked (never happened) I would answer honestly.

In one case my gun actually "klunked" against an officer's gun as he was taking prints for my FL NR CCW renewal. Not a word was spoken.

One time when I was in one PD, I was the ONLY Person armed in the PD at that time!! The two Lts were unarmed and the dispatcher is always unarmed! Dumb, but that is what was happening at that time.

Now, don't do this in FL as they actually do have a law against it, but MA has no such laws.
 
why dont you test that theory, i think you are wrong. let me know how it goes.
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In general, the older the carry permit law, the less likely there is to be a "no PD carry"; "no bar carry"; "no sporting event carry"; etc. prohibition. The old laws were created before guns were bad, and existed only to keep the "wrong kind" of people from carrying. The new laws were created in a climate of intense polarization on the issue, and the expectation that "ordinary" people needed to be restricted because there are some places where only a police officer knows how to be safe with firearms. In some cases, our side had to "give territory" as part of the negotiations to get something passed.
 
transport issue

I've come across what seems a discrepancy in MA law (I know, NO KIDDING). The transportation section of the law makes it very clear that unless the firearm (pistol or long gun) is under your direct control, it mst be unloaded and in the trunk or a locked case. Yet, when you purchase a firearm, the dealer is required to sell you a trigger lock with the firearm. If you have a pick up truck, unless you bring a lockable hard case with you, or buy one from the dealer, there doesn't seem to be a legal way to bring the firearm home. This is a problem if the purchase was a spur-of-the-moment purchase. [thinking]
 
Arioch said:
I've come across what seems a discrepancy in MA law (I know, NO KIDDING). The transportation section of the law makes it very clear that unless the firearm (pistol or long gun) is under your direct control, it mst be unloaded and in the trunk or a locked case. Yet, when you purchase a firearm, the dealer is required to sell you a trigger lock with the firearm. If you have a pick up truck, unless you bring a lockable hard case with you, or buy one from the dealer, there doesn't seem to be a legal way to bring the firearm home. This is a problem if the purchase was a spur-of-the-moment purchase. [thinking]
Click to expand...

If the gun is a non-large capacity long arm, there is no requirement to lock it up or put it in the trunk, only that it be unloaded. So no problem there. If it is a handgun you could just carry it upon your person either loaded or unloaded (if you have the proper license). Again, no problem. If it is a large capacity long arm, or you're not licensed to carry the handgun, yes, you've got yourself a problem. I'm sure the dealer would be happy to sell you a locking case, however [wink]
 
I think I need to notify the Middleboro PD of a change of address But I am not sure.
My parents divorced, my mom got the old house, my dad built a new one. I moved out of my moms house for personal reasons, and I got my FID before i moved out and all of the info on it is for that house.
When I moved out I moved to my girlfriends but kept the gun at my moms. Then i got a dorm room at college and live there now. I just started storing the gun at my dads new house in the same town because my mother and I don't talk.
Do i need to notify them of a change in address to the new house?
 
tspills88 said:
I think I need to notify the Middleboro PD of a change of address But I am not sure.
My parents divorced, my mom got the old house, my dad built a new one. I moved out of my moms house for personal reasons, and I got my FID before i moved out and all of the info on it is for that house.
When I moved out I moved to my girlfriends but kept the gun at my moms. Then i got a dorm room at college and live there now. I just started storing the gun at my dads new house in the same town because my mother and I don't talk.
Do i need to notify them of a change in address to the new house?
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im not sure.. but if your living at college technically speaking thats ur current address. and sinec you cant have fireamrs on campus, i would say you dad needs to get a permit.. i could be wrong though.
 
jdubois said:
If the gun is a non-large capacity long arm, there is no requirement to lock it up or put it in the trunk, only that it be unloaded. So no problem there. If it is a handgun you could just carry it upon your person either loaded or unloaded (if you have the proper license). Again, no problem. If it is a large capacity long arm, or you're not licensed to carry the handgun, yes, you've got yourself a problem. I'm sure the dealer would be happy to sell you a locking case, however [wink]
Click to expand...

jdubois, I've been searching for a few days and finally came across your answer, thank you! I still have a little confusion when it comes to trucks & trunks, please read on.

I had a debate with one of the guns store owners and we both couldn't finalize the issue. It directly pertains to the issue of having a pickup truck and a 'container'. I don't have a hard case, just a soft tactical bag for my AK. Is a cable lock going through the action of the firearm then placed in my soft bag behind the seat adequate? In this condition it's clearly unusable and would take significant, if not more work to remove it than a hard case. If not, can I put a lock on the zippers to consider the soft case a locked container and then store it behind the seat in the pickup?

There must be some leeway for vehicle without trunks such as minivans and trucks. I know when I was in NJ, the rear seat of the truck was considered a 'trunk' in this situation. Thanks for helping me with this issue. I've used the search function 9 ways from Sunday and this is the best I could find. If there is an exact post discussing this already I apologize but would appreciate the link.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Cmaro21 said:
Is a cable lock going through the action of the firearm then placed in my soft bag behind the seat adequate?
Click to expand...

No. The law (C. 140 § 131C) requires it to be in a locked trunk, locked case, or other secure container. In your example above, the gun may be "locked" but the soft bag it is in is not.

Cmaro21 said:
can I put a lock on the zippers to consider the soft case a locked container and then store it behind the seat in the pickup?
Click to expand...

Yes.
 
Thanks for the quick info and I'll act accordingly. I suppose that I can't use the cable lock on the zipper because it might be possible to remove the gun from the case due to the slack In the cable. I'll put a small padlock on the zipper but it is funny because even though it is legal it isn't half as secure as putting the cable through the action.

On another note.... The glock Tupperware, if I run a cable lock through that and keep of behind the seat unloaded after the range it would be legal right or do I have to loop it to a sationary object?

Thanks again and please forgive the grammer. The iPhone has a mind of it's own when it comes to spelling.
 
Cmaro21 said:
Thanks for the quick info and I'll act accordingly. I suppose that I can't use the cable lock on the zipper because it might be possible to remove the gun from the case due to the slack In the cable. I'll put a small padlock on the zipper but it is funny because even though it is legal it isn't half as secure as putting the cable through the action.
Click to expand...

Don't confuse logic with the law.
 
Cmaro21 said:
On another note.... The glock Tupperware, if I run a cable lock through that and keep of behind the seat unloaded after the range it would be legal right or do I have to loop it to a sationary object?
Click to expand...

Yes, that would be fine, and no need to tie it down to anything.

(I'm assuming by 'glock Tupperware' you are referring to the case it came in, and not the gun itself [wink])
 

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