Sunny
NES Member
I think the issue is that they don't want bullets flying into nearby property. That would shut down the range instantly. But otherwise, yes, steel plates is 100x more fun than paper.
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Massachusetts Rifle Association - Woburn, MA
- Thread starter PMD
- Start date
dcmdon
NES Member
I am on the range rules committee. We rewrote the range rules top to bottom last year. Many of us pushed for some steel but its not going to happen. The fear of a round getting out is just too great.
Here is an aerial shot of the club. The black line is the 100/200 yard range. It doesn't take much imagination to see how much trouble there would be if something got off the property.
Here is an aerial shot of the club. The black line is the 100/200 yard range. It doesn't take much imagination to see how much trouble there would be if something got off the property.
dcmdon
NES Member
I also pushed for the club to allow draw from a holster. The bottom line is that its not that kind of club.
For $150 more per year, you can join HSC. I belong to both clubs and its a great combination. With good people at both places.
For $150 more per year, you can join HSC. I belong to both clubs and its a great combination. With good people at both places.
Just curious, but was frangible ammo considered?
Any of the established loop clubs will NEVER change any of these dumb rules because it doesn't match their business model, they fill the rolls with plenty of people who are too lazy to
drive anywhere else, so who can blame them, really? Most of these people just validate the BS by braying "Weaaaah but I don wanna dryve far waaah!" I tell them to stop bitching about
the rules then.
I always tell people "read the rules and verify them before joining, if the rules suck in a way you can't tolerate, then you have nobody to blame but yourself".
-Mike
dcmdon
NES Member
I agree 100%. When I moved here 8 years ago, I did my research and decided on MRA and HSC. MRA gives me an indoor range where ai can shoot just about anything (even machine guns) 7x24, a great group of guys and an excellent culture of traditional marksmanship type competition.
I really enjoy shooting on the Eastern Mass Rifle League team for MRA.
MRA takes me 17 minutes to get to regardless of the day or time of day.
HSC gives me more freedom and on a weekend morning isn't that long a drive. (about 25 minutes on a weekend morning, about 4 hours on a weekday afternoon, ha)
At HSC I can draw from a holster, shoot falling steel provided by the club, shoot a friend's machine gun, and shoot my rifle 300 yards. I can also hunt there for ducks, stocked pheasant and deer.
Both clubs have EXCELLENT juniors programs.
I consider myself lucky to have access to each of these great clubs for about $150/yr.
Massachusetts Rifle Association suspends acceptance of new member applications.
The Massachusetts Rifle Association is America's oldest Incorporated gun club. Currently we have over 2,700 members of which a small but dedicated group are the volunteers that keep our traditions alive, our ranges in operation, and serve the membership on a daily basis, often behind the scenes.
The Board of Directors, and other volunteers, dedicate countless hours to provide a safe and enjoyable place to shoot. To date, we have had to cancel all organized shooting events as well as events off of the property by our junior teams.
At this time, there are no plans to close the facility, however, you are strongly urged to practice safe protocols while on the property. In addition to all of the range rules, make sure to wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing. Do not congregate.
I have often said that we no longer need any new members but there is always room for another good member. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 virus and all of the issues surrounding it, we are forced to suspend the accepting of new applications for membership effective immediately for the safety of our volunteers. Those who already have applications in, will be contacted by a board member to arrange whether processing at this time is feasible.
We will revisit this freeze on accepting new member applications as the situation evolves. When the time comes to accept new applications, we will need more volunteers to assist on processing those new members. This will be a great opportunity to get out of the house, back on the range, help contribute to our shooting community.
Stay safe - both on and off the range. Together, we will get through this.
Respectfully,
Robert Collins, President
Massachusetts Rifle Association
America's Oldest Incorporated Gun Club
The Massachusetts Rifle Association is America's oldest Incorporated gun club. Currently we have over 2,700 members of which a small but dedicated group are the volunteers that keep our traditions alive, our ranges in operation, and serve the membership on a daily basis, often behind the scenes.
The Board of Directors, and other volunteers, dedicate countless hours to provide a safe and enjoyable place to shoot. To date, we have had to cancel all organized shooting events as well as events off of the property by our junior teams.
At this time, there are no plans to close the facility, however, you are strongly urged to practice safe protocols while on the property. In addition to all of the range rules, make sure to wash your hands frequently and practice social distancing. Do not congregate.
I have often said that we no longer need any new members but there is always room for another good member. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 virus and all of the issues surrounding it, we are forced to suspend the accepting of new applications for membership effective immediately for the safety of our volunteers. Those who already have applications in, will be contacted by a board member to arrange whether processing at this time is feasible.
We will revisit this freeze on accepting new member applications as the situation evolves. When the time comes to accept new applications, we will need more volunteers to assist on processing those new members. This will be a great opportunity to get out of the house, back on the range, help contribute to our shooting community.
Stay safe - both on and off the range. Together, we will get through this.
Respectfully,
Robert Collins, President
Massachusetts Rifle Association
America's Oldest Incorporated Gun Club
Are they closed per the shut-down tomorrow?
Da_lucche
NES Member
Yea just got that email. Pretty shitty. I was planning on hitting the range too. Bummer.
dcmdon
NES Member
I'm surprised they didn't at least allow access to the 50 yard range. It is an outdoor range accessed from outside.
All other ranges are either inside or accessed through the clubhouse.
All other ranges are either inside or accessed through the clubhouse.
Da_lucche
NES Member
Same here. And it doesnt see much foot traffic either. Which is why I always use it. Most people use the 25 or so straight for the 100 or 200.
Da_lucche
NES Member
So the May 18th reopening date has been removed from the website homepage and now there is no date at all?
They are waiting for Chairman Baker's announcement on Monday. We know we won't be opening on the 18th.
Rob Boudrie
NES Member
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Technically illegal under MGL unless you have a MA machine gun license.
Da_lucche
NES Member
Unless they were worried about getting pushed in by woburn pd, they could have at least kept the outdoor ranges open like a ton of other MA ranges had been doing since the beginning.
dcmdon
NES Member
Only if you buy into the absolutely absurd assertion that shooting someone's gun while they are present represents a transfer.
Rob Boudrie
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The federal government does, and has obtained felon in possession convictions on that basis.
The fact that the the law contains an exemption for shooting other firearms, and the legal precedent that words are presumed to have meaning, is suggestive that no such implied exemption for MGs exist.
Remember, it is not your or my opinion that counts. I am guesstimating the state's opinion, not what I think makes sense.
dcmdon
NES Member
I will find ATF guidance that I have received saying just the opposite. That a transfer requires true change of possession. Absent the presence of the owner.
dcmdon
NES Member
From the NFA handbook. In all supporting documents the term "loan" means that the firearm owner is not present. "can I loan someone in a different state a firearm". For exemple.
Section 9.1 Definition of “transfer.” The term “transfer” is broadly defined by the NFA to include “selling, assigning, pledging, leasing, loaning, giving away, or otherwise disposing of” an NFA firearm.165 The lawful transfer of an NFA firearm generally requires the filing of an appropriate transfer form with ATF, payment of any transfer tax imposed, approval of the form by ATF, and registration of the firearm to the transferee in the NFRTR. Approval must be obtained before a transfer may be made. See Section 9.5 for a discussion of certain NFA transactions not considered by ATF to be “transfers.”
Section 9.1 Definition of “transfer.” The term “transfer” is broadly defined by the NFA to include “selling, assigning, pledging, leasing, loaning, giving away, or otherwise disposing of” an NFA firearm.165 The lawful transfer of an NFA firearm generally requires the filing of an appropriate transfer form with ATF, payment of any transfer tax imposed, approval of the form by ATF, and registration of the firearm to the transferee in the NFRTR. Approval must be obtained before a transfer may be made. See Section 9.5 for a discussion of certain NFA transactions not considered by ATF to be “transfers.”
Billsail
NES Member
I thought this was a MA law or regulation instituted after the "Westfield incident" some years ago?
Based upon the latest guidance provided yesterday from the state, the Board of Directors and Association Counsel will be meeting tomorrow night to make sure that the protocols for reopening discussed at our last board meeting will be sufficient to reopen or whether additional precautions will need to me taken.
At a MINIMUM there will be temporary range rules put in place concerning social distancing, sanitation, and hygiene requirements.
More to come, we are working to reopen ASAP
At a MINIMUM there will be temporary range rules put in place concerning social distancing, sanitation, and hygiene requirements.
More to come, we are working to reopen ASAP
Rob Boudrie
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Most excellent. What happens is a temporary lawful transfer. A PP person is still technically "in possession" while holding the gun, and that is sufficient for a felon in possession conviction.
No law or regulation changed, it's just that there was a de-facto, but not codified, exemption that did not withstand the scrutiny of close technical examination of the statute by someone with an agenda.
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Here is an example of someone who got 27 months for felon in possession for renting a gun at a range. Since range rentals are on-site only and allegedly supervised (in this case he had a non-felon friend right next to him).
Convicted felon headed to prison after posting video of himself shooting a gun
Dane Mitchell shot at a firing range in Gray, but was not allowed to possess firearms because of felony convictions.www.centralmaine.com
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dcmdon
NES Member
There was a law passed prohibiting anyone under 18 from shooting a machine gun.
There was also some grumbling at the state level that handing a MG to someone to shoot in your presence was a transfer. Though nobody has ever been arrested for this. Its clearly just bluster. Because again, it goes contrary to the ATF guidance on their definition of transfer. See my description above.
Per my use of the word "grumbling". Maybe Rob can fill in the blanks there. I did not live in MA at the time all this went on and its not something i worry about personally now that I live here because everyone I know has a green card.
dcmdon
NES Member
p.s. if the state considers this to be a transfer. Lets give them what they want.
Every time you hand you MG to someone else to shoot, do an efa10 on the spot. Then do another when he hands it back to you. Then another when you hand it to another friend.
Bury the f***ers in transactions so their data is garbage.
Every time you hand you MG to someone else to shoot, do an efa10 on the spot. Then do another when he hands it back to you. Then another when you hand it to another friend.
Bury the f***ers in transactions so their data is garbage.
Rob Boudrie
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Don't forget to stop once you have filed 4 eFA10s in a calendar year.
They already know, and they basically don't care. Now that its nearly all electronic, there is no longer any burden imposed by crapflooding them. Storage is
cheap.
-Mike
Yeah but it's worth noting that they tried to bag Fleury et all on the MG transfer thing and it actually failed, but the institutional fear persisted and now its considered "de facto" the truth.
So most of the "MG transfer is not exempted" stuff is still untested gnomish EOPS/AG "we want it this way cuz we said so" mysticism, very similar to the same "your LTC expires when you
dump MA residency, cuz we said so" mysticism. (although at least the MG possession thing is more defensible in a strict reading of the law, the "Resident LTC becoming invalid" thing is pure EOPS fiat and definitely not codified in the law.
Is the "unlawful MG transfer" thing any better or worse than "MA non resident competition exemption is legally invalid" problem? (cue jeopardy music here)
There is only one universal true thing here.... MA gun laws are a f***ed up cauldron of garbage.
![[laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif "Laugh [laugh]")
-Mike
Sunny
NES Member
What's there to discuss? What restrictions? The ban is over. Open up and resume back to normal. Unbelievable.
