MA Handgun Compliance Q+A Thread (new)

Serious answer:

- Black letter of the law: EVERY gun with an external mag is "large capacity".
- It was an "unintended consequence" of morons writing law.
- GCAB researched the intent with the moron authors and then wrote a CMR to meet the INTENT (not the black letter of the law).
- Per the CMR to be large capacity one of 3 things are required:
* Gun is on the large capacity roster created by GCAB, or
* Any gun that was sold at any time to the civilian market with a large capacity magazine by the manufacturer, or
* YOU possess a large capacity magazine for said gun . . . and if so, the gun is only categorized as large capacity as long as you also possess said magazine. If you sell off the large capacity magazine, the gun reverts back to being non-large capacity.

The above is exactly what I teach in my MA Gun Law Seminars and based on the law and discussions with the permanent chairman of the GCAB as to what and why they created the CMR the way they did. Secretary of Public Safety (EOPS) signs off on these CMRs, so I am told that this is their official position on the matter.
 
Serious question though, as you're registering the gun and not the magazines, would a 1911 be large cap or not? What makes the distinction? What the roster says? How the gun is sold (what mags it comes with)? What's available under/over 10 rounds?

Normally it isn't considered one but none of this really matters if you have an LTC-A, and since the B is dying/dead it will be even less of a concern.

-Mike
 
3. Pre 98 documented - (eg, owner has paperwork showing it was owned/registered in MA before 10/21/98) = completely exempt from AG and EOPS regs.

Would this include guns MADE in MA pre '98? I'm interested in getting my hands on an H&R 999, and they were made in Worcester/Gardner prior to 1998. Is that good enough, or did an MA RESIDENT need to own it before then?
 
Serious question though, as you're registering the gun and not the magazines, would a 1911 be large cap or not? What makes the distinction? What the roster says? How the gun is sold (what mags it comes with)? What's available under/over 10 rounds?
Since when did we start registering guns in MA? (and yes I know what an efa-10 and the MIRCS portal are. )
 
Would this include guns MADE in MA pre '98? I'm interested in getting my hands on an H&R 999, and they were made in Worcester/Gardner prior to 1998. Is that good enough, or did an MA RESIDENT need to own it before then?

Until someone pushes this in a court, we'll never know for sure. But many years ago I asked the same question . . . no answer. I think that a good (but very expensive) case could be made for this.
 
Since when did we start registering guns in MA? (and yes I know what an efa-10 and the MIRCS portal are. )
OK So it's time to show my ignorance but at the same time I must admit my shock.

Until today I thought that the law required you to report firearms transactions on the MIRCS Portal and I remember Acquisition being a transaction that I used to report firearms bought out of state or built from parts. While I understand that the difference between reporting a firearms 'acquisition' and registering a firearm is a matter of semantics, I always considered it an important difference. So today I went to report a frame that had previously been acquired via an ATF 4473 transfer that had now been assembled into a working firearms and I notice that the MIRCS portal has the category REGISTRATION and one of the reasons for using that "transaction type" is 3) you possess a firearm, rifle, shotgun or machine gun and there is no record of the weapon on file with the Firearms Records Bureau.

I have 3 questions (which I will try and research within the MGL later but thought I'd ask)

1. Did MIRCS always use the term REGISTRATION and "acquisitions" is just a figment of my imagination?
2. Where in MGL is registration required?
3. AM I the only one who thinks that if this REGISTRATION is required by law under the reason stated on MIRCS portal then the assumption that you do not have to report the guns you inherited from your father 40 years ago is invalid? You are required to register them?
 
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OK So it's time to show my ignorance but at the same time I must admit my shock.

Until today I thought that the law required you to report firearms transactions on the MIRCS Portal and I remember Acquisition being a transaction that I used to report firearms bought out of state or built from parts. While I understand that the difference between reporting a firearms 'acquisition' and registering a firearm is a matter of semantics, I always considered it an important difference. So today I went to report a frame that had previously been acquired via an ATF 4473 transfer that had now been assembled into a working firearms and I notice that the MIRCS portal has the category REGISTRATION and one of the reasons for using that "transaction type" is 3) you possess a firearm, rifle, shotgun or machine gun and there is no record of the weapon on file with the Firearms Records Bureau.

I have 3 questions (which I will try and research within the MGL later but thought I'd ask)

1. Did MIRCS always use the term REGISTRATION and "acquisitions" is just a figment of my imagination?
2. Where in MGL is registration required?
3. AM I the only one who thinks that if this REGISTRATION is required by law under the reason stated on MIRCS portal then the assumption that you do not have to report the guns you inherited from your father 40 years ago is invalid? You are required to register them?


The shit printed on that page does NOT correlate what the actual law says, it's that simple. That stuff is the EOPS fairytale edition of what they would like things to be, but that is not the law.

-Mike
 
This question may have been answered previously in this thread, but there's a lot of pages to search through....

I'm assuming already the answer to this question is "no" but I just want to make sure.

LEO's are exempt from the EOPS roster....what if you're currently employed for a private security company as an armed guard? Any exemption there? Like I said, I assume the answer is no.



Can I ask a sort of unrelated question here instead of starting a new thread?



I was just looking at body armor for sale online. Some has a government restriction that states: This item is available for sale to Law Enforcement Personnel, Military Personnel, Security Guards, Correctional Facility Personnel, and other qualified personnel........Certain state, and/or local laws and regulations may apply.

What's the deal with that in Mass for private security guards? Does anyone know if I would be allowed to purchase that in accordance to Mass. law as an armed security guard?
 
This question may have been answered previously in this thread, but there's a lot of pages to search through....

I'm assuming already the answer to this question is "no" but I just want to make sure.

LEO's are exempt from the EOPS roster....what if you're currently employed for a private security company as an armed guard? Any exemption there? Like I said, I assume the answer is no.

Can I ask a sort of unrelated question here instead of starting a new thread?

I was just looking at body armor for sale online. Some has a government restriction that states: This item is available for sale to Law Enforcement Personnel, Military Personnel, Security Guards, Correctional Facility Personnel, and other qualified personnel........Certain state, and/or local laws and regulations may apply.

What's the deal with that in Mass for private security guards? Does anyone know if I would be allowed to purchase that in accordance to Mass. law as an armed security guard?

You are 100% wrong. Legally LEOs (individuals) are NOT exempt from the EOPS Roster. They are exempt from the AG's "imaginary non-roster"!

Private security is not exempt from both the EOPS Roster and the AG's "imaginary non-roster"!

Yes, legally anyone but a felon can purchase body armor in MA. Plenty of places won't sell to other than LE/Mil/Security however, but that is their choice on how to run a business, not law.
 
Ask another FFL until you find one that will transfer it in. A gun could come with a personal letter from the AG swearing that it is compliant (fat chance of that) and some FFLs will still refuse to transfer it. So it is all up to the incoming FFL you use.

Good luck.
 
Not sure I would agree with your assessment on the compliance. There is a big difference in the guns sold in Mass and say those in NH at times. I have been very interest in the PPQ. From what I have seen with my discussions is if I look at an M&P that I can rent and shoot and even but at a range in NH, the trigger is very different, where they have a NH version and even a Mass Compliant case.

I was told by one FFL that you can have what appears to be the exact same manufacturer and model, but there will be different SKUs in the system, one for the free state, and one for the Mass Compliant version.

Take it all with a grain of salt - but have been looking at the same sort of things over the last month or so, and it does get confusing.
 
Not sure I would agree with your assessment on the compliance. There is a big difference in the guns sold in Mass and say those in NH at times. I have been very interest in the PPQ. From what I have seen with my discussions is if I look at an M&P that I can rent and shoot and even but at a range in NH, the trigger is very different, where they have a NH version and even a Mass Compliant case.

I was told by one FFL that you can have what appears to be the exact same manufacturer and model, but there will be different SKUs in the system, one for the free state, and one for the Mass Compliant version.

Take it all with a grain of salt - but have been looking at the same sort of things over the last month or so, and it does get confusing.

There are VERY FEW guns that have a special ****ed up MA trigger on the mass compliant version. We're probably talking less than 10-15 guns, IMHO. The most notorious of them is the S&W M&P series.

-Mike
 
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Scanned for a few minutes and still have (probably simple) question. I always hear that it doesn't matter if you buy a gun, privately, that isn't "MA Compliant". The law only applies to FFL's selling to civilians, which is why you can buy a Glock off of a LEO. Where is the exact literature stating this in the regs? I'm asking because I'm contemplating buying a glock 26, which is owned by someone who bought it during the time some stores were selling them to civilians. So it was sold to a non LEO brand new. Went to a store in the interim and the owner said he wouldn't, as a civilian, ever use the gun in self defense because the consumer knowingly did "wrong", as well as the FFL. Discuss....
 
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Laws tell you what you can't do, as such, there is no MGL "allowing" it.
EOPSS allows Glocks, it's the "secret list" from the AGO that prohibits it... which only applies to dealers.

By deductive reasoning, there are no problems with private sales.
 
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Hey guys, Mauras new law is making things cloudy.
I have a leo friend that wanted to sell a g42 prior to mauras tyranny, now hes saying with the new law, he can no longer sell it to anyone but a leo. I know thats wrong, can someone confirm or is there something i didnt see and now im wrong. He mentioned the new law.

Thanks guys
 
Hey guys, Mauras new law is making things cloudy.
I have a leo friend that wanted to sell a g42 prior to mauras tyranny, now hes saying with the new law, he can no longer sell it to anyone but a leo. I know thats wrong, can someone confirm or is there something i didnt see and now im wrong. He mentioned the new law.

Thanks guys
There is no new law. There is not even any new regulation. There is a new interpretation that doesn't effect handguns. How do people come up with this stuff.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk
 
There is no new law. There is not even any new regulation. There is a new interpretation that doesn't effect handguns. How do people come up with this stuff.

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk
thanks Bron, thats what i thought, but with him being a leo one would assume they should know the law anlitter better than me lmao
 
thanks Bron, thats what i thought, but with him being a leo one would assume they should know the law anlitter better than me lmao

[rofl] [rofl] [rofl]

Surely you are joking. Most cops have no clue about MA gun laws. A large percentage couldn't tell you what is in their holster or what ammo they carry . . . not a guess on my part, I've asked some officers that I know and had the deer in the headlights response with "ask him" (pointing to the one of three guys on the PD that have a clue about guns).
 
[rofl] [rofl] [rofl]

Surely you are joking. Most cops have no clue about MA gun laws. A large percentage couldn't tell you what is in their holster or what ammo they carry . . . not a guess on my part, I've asked some officers that I know and had the deer in the headlights response with "ask him" (pointing to the one of three guys on the PD that have a clue about guns).

Spot on Len! From my interactions as well as first source info from several LEOs, I see them falling into one of two categories...either a super knowledgeable and experienced carrier...or... you would have better results asking my 92 year old grandmother
 
Does anyone here see an issue with me getting a WW2 era revolver transfered to a Massachusetts ffl from a Colorado dealer? To my knowledge, it was never in the state prior to 1998, but since it was manufactured in 1938, maybe the "list" doesnt apply to that kind of firearm. Any advice/tips?
 
Does anyone here see an issue with me getting a WW2 era revolver transfered to a Massachusetts ffl from a Colorado dealer? To my knowledge, it was never in the state prior to 1998, but since it was manufactured in 1938, maybe the "list" doesnt apply to that kind of firearm. Any advice/tips?

If you have a C&R FFL you can inbound it direct and dodge all this bullshit. Otherwise you're basically shit out of luck because it's not compliant. Now there might be some dealers that don't care and will inbound it, but we're not going to talk about that in public.

-Mike
 
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