Practical Implications of H4885 for Purchasing and Possessing

I was told by Jon at goal my built lower is illegal bought it back in July and built it then registered on efa10 portal all prior to 8/1 and it's somehow now illegal ? I can't believe that to be true otherwise every lower sold since 2016 and built as a rifle is now illegal and caused everyone to break the law.
Sadly GOAL has not scrutinized the new laws as much as I think they should have.

But that’s my humble opinion and INAL…

Pretty sure at this point unless it’s blatantly illegal it’s probably ok (lawfully possessed on 8/1)

My .02
 
I was only worried about my freedom being taken from me over this stupid interpretation of a convoluted law that even a lawyer I talked to cannot interpret enough to say 100% 1 way or the other

Yeah. Stop worrying about that. Your freedom is not going to be taken over a rifle that you possessed legally on 8/1.

If you refuse to believe that, then no offense, but you might not have the stomach to be a MA gun owner. With all due respect.
 
I just need peace of mind on the subject this wasn't to offend anyone and a discussion on all of our behalves
In all seriousness. Most people interpret the law that if it was legally owned in state on 8/1 by a dealer or LTC holder then it is grandfathered. The state has not provided official guidance.

Until someone is prosecuted and we have case law, we will not have a definitive answer.

If this is too much risk for you, sell anything that you own that is not an on roster handgun as those are about as legally safe as you can get. Next safest is manually operated long guns such as lever, bolt, and pump guns.
 
I just need peace of mind on the subject this wasn't to offend anyone and a discussion on all of our behalves
This is business as usual for MA.gov regarding gun laws. Make it as convoluted as possible, give zero guidance, attach a felony charge to it and some percentage of people shit their pants and self-regulate above and beyond the gun grabbers wildest dreams.

Its pre-8/1. Do whatever you want with it. Or crack a couple beers, start at page one of this thread, read it through and then do what you feel comfortable doing.
 
No, every firearm possessed on 8/1 is exempt regardless of it's configuration.



The "assault-style" nomenclature is describing the current configuration of the firearm since on 8/1 the term "assault-style" was legally undefined.
If you have an assault-style firearm in the present it is exempt if that firearm was possessed legally in Mass on 8/1.
To be legal on that date it very likely had to be a non-"assault-style" firearm at the time.

So this goes for something like a Dark Storm legally possessed in state on 8/1 that has no provision for a mag release? Can drill away and install release?

Why would one keep it fixed mag then?

A fixed mag lower in MA 8/1 but purchased post 8/1 can be made into non-fixed, or need to stay fixed?
 
Whether or not the possession was in fact legal on 8/1 seems to be the question the pant fillers are focused on.

Like, he's already said he FA10'd it. I wonder why he thinks it matters now? The cat has left the barn already, for better or worse.

Probably better, though. Because he had it in MA before 8/1. I'm gobsmacked that he's worried.
 
So this goes for something like a Dark Storm legally possessed in state on 8/1 that has no provision for a mag release? Can drill away and install release?

Why would one keep it fixed mag then?

A fixed mag lower in MA 8/1 but purchased post 8/1 can be made into non-fixed, or need to stay fixed?
A fixed mag AR lower was lawfully possessed on 8/1, especially by a dealer.
An AR lower is now incurablely an ASF regardless of enumerated features
However, since it is now exempt it is legal to possess even though it is an ASF.
There is no verbiage defining that it must remain in the configuration it was in on 8/1.
 
A fixed mag AR lower was lawfully possessed on 8/1, especially by a dealer.
An AR lower is now incurablely an ASF regardless of enumerated features
However, since it is now exempt it is legal to possess even though it is an ASF.
There is no verbiage defining that it must remain in the configuration it was in on 8/1.
Hours of learning legalese here

The law changed all assault weapons duplicates copies enumerated listed semi auto rifles to be labeled as " assault style fire arms

Section 131M subsection b. a. States can be possessed transfered or sold if legally possessed in massachusetts prior to August 1st 2024

And man do i feel better "besides a change of pants"
 
This is business as usual for MA.gov regarding gun laws. Make it as convoluted as possible, give zero guidance, attach a felony charge to it and some percentage of people shit their pants and self-regulate above and beyond the gun grabbers wildest dreams.

Its pre-8/1. Do whatever you want with it. Or crack a couple beers, start at page one of this thread, read it through and then do what you feel comfortable doing.

Deliberate Ambiguity Policy
 
Here's the snips of the law in order (I offer no legal advice just my findings)

Defines assault style firearm
Then 131M defines August 1st asf being exempt
 

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131M saved us

Stop!

This is the worst kind of Stockholm Syndrome. "Saved us" from what?

It merely greased the dildo in our collective butt. It's still in there until the Courts pull it out officially. At this point? You have to decide whether to try to get comfy with the thing they've shoved in your ass, or just decide to reach back and pull it out yourself, unofficially. Some of us are doing that; you seem to be worried lest the state will come along and demand you stick it back in. Actually, you're not even that far along: your worry was whether there was adequate grease on it.

Stop this, and change your mindset. You're only as free as you think you are. Your statements suggest you're not free at all; they suggest you're grateful to the Commonwealth for not sticking it in harder. A lot of us don't have a lot of patience for that anymore, even if we did at one time. This state has a way of radicalizing people who love freedom; maybe you'll get there one day.

Good luck and happy shooting.
 
you blew it. But an SBR is an option.
Did he?

Because an FA10 is not Fededal.

The Federales know he bought a receiver because of the 4473. But they have no record of what the receiver turned into and the 4473 doesnt say "rifle".

I guess the Federales could request a record of FA10s from the State. But, would the State comply? And if they have such a hard on to get you, you are probably very deep in some other sh*t.
 
I guess the Federales could request a record of FA10s from the State. But, would the State comply? And if they have such a hard on to get you, you are probably very deep in some other sh*t.
This is already publicly available. If you can easily find yourself, friends, and family, I don’t think it’s a stretch to think that a government agency can.

If it was built as a pistol first, off the record, then you get into admitting you violated the state AWB unless it was fixed mag. Not a federal issue though.
 
I just need peace of mind on the subject this wasn't to offend anyone and a discussion on all of our behalves
Peace of mind comes from either trusting those you asked or doing the research yourself.
The only contention is with the copies and duplicates 7/20/16 date.
And after Loper Bright, the state is on thin ice.
Next is the ASF ban in its entirety where the state is on thin ice and the sun is rising. Snope is on its way to scotus and the SJC's Canjura opinion make it near impossible for the ASF ban to survive.
 
If that’s the case.

If a stripped lower was bought, built and fa-10’d as a rifle and that system meant very little and means nothing now. Can that same lower be used to make pistol?

I have feeling the answer is no….but I had to ask.

I think you’re misremembering. Your FA-10 is messing with your memory. Before you built it into a rifle, you built it into a bolt action pistol briefly, just to check it out.

I did actually have a friend do this when he asked for help building his first AR. I brought a short barrel upper, without the gas tube, so he could assemble it as a pistol first. Then he turned it into a rifle.
 
Stop!

This is the worst kind of Stockholm Syndrome. "Saved us" from what?

It merely greased the dildo in our collective butt. It's still in there until the Courts pull it out officially. At this point? You have to decide whether to try to get comfy with the thing they've shoved in your ass, or just decide to reach back and pull it out yourself, unofficially. Some of us are doing that; you seem to be worried lest the state will come along and demand you stick it back in. Actually, you're not even that far along: your worry was whether there was adequate grease on it.

Stop this, and change your mindset. You're only as free as you think you are. Your statements suggest you're not free at all; they suggest you're grateful to the Commonwealth for not sticking it in harder. A lot of us don't have a lot of patience for that anymore, even if we did at one time. This state has a way of radicalizing people who love freedom; maybe you'll get there one day.

Good luck and happy shooting.

"Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it; no constitution, no law, no court can even do much to help it."
 
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