GOAL’s Resource Page For Information About Chapter 596 – The City of Boston Assault Weapon Ban.
AN ACT RELATIVE TO ASSAULT WEAPONS IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows:
SECTION 1. For the purposes of this act the following words shall have the following meanings:-
(1) “Assault weapon”, all rifles and shotguns designated as assault weapons in this section and all other semi-automatic rifles and shotguns which are determined by the assault weapon roster board, established under the provisions of section five, to be assault weapons. Such term shall include, in addition to any other rifles and shotguns identified by said board, all versions of the following, including rifles and shotguns sold under the designation provided in this section and rifles and shotguns which are substantially identical thereto sold under any designation:-
(a) Avtomat Kalishnikov, also known as AK-47 semi-automatic rifles;
(b) Uzi semi-automatic rifles;
(c) AR-15 semi-automatic rifles;
(d) FN-FAL and FN-FNC semi-automatic rifles;
(e) Steyr Aug semi-automatic rifles;
(f) SKS semi-automatic rifles;
(g) shotguns with revolving cylinders known as the Street Sweeper and the Striker 12;
(h) any other semi-automatic rifle with a fixed magazine capacity exceeding ten rounds;
(i) any other shotgun with a fixed magazine, cylinder, drum or tube capacity exceeding six rounds; and
09 any semi-automatic firearm which is a modification of a rifle or shotgun described in this subsection; that is, having the same make, caliber, and action design but a shorter barrel or no rear stock.
(2) “Assault weapon” shall not include:
(a) a rifle or shotgun which does not employ fixed ammunition;
(b) a rifle or shotgun which was manufactured prior to the year eighteen hundred and ninety-eight;
(c) a rifle or shotgun which operates by manual bolt action;
(d) a rifle or shotgun which operates by lever action;
(e) a rifle or shotgun which operates by slide action;
(f) a rifle or shotgun which is a single shot weapon;
(g) a rifle or shotgun which is a multiple barrel weapon;
(h) a rifle which is a revolving cylinder weapon;
(i) a rifle which employs a fixed magazine with a capacity of ten rounds or less;
(j) a shotgun which is a rimfire weapon that employs a tubular magazine with a magazine capacity of six rounds or less;
(k) a rifle or shotgun which cannot employ a detachable magazine or ammunition belt with a capacity greater than ten rounds;
(I) a rifle or shotgun which has been modified so as to render it permanently inoperable or so as to make it permanently a device which may not appropriately be designated as an assault weapon; or
Cm) a rifle or shotgun which is an antique or relic firearm, movie prop or other weapon not capable of firing a projectile and not intended for use as a functional weapon and which cannot be readily converted through a combination of available parts into an operable assault weapon.
(3) “Large capacity ammunition belt”, a belt or strip which holds more than ten rounds of ammunition to be fed continuously into a semi-automatic rifle or shotgun or an ammunition belt which can be readily converted into a large capacity ammunition belt.
(4) “Large capacity magazine”, a box, drum, or other container which holds more than ten rounds of ammunition to be fed continuously into a semi-automatic rifle or shotgun or a magazine which can be readily converted into a large capacity magazine.
(5) “Rifle”, a firearm of which the length of barrel is sixteen inches or more, that is designed or has been redesigned, made or has been remade to fire a fixed cartridge.
(6) “Semi-automatic”, capable of firing a shot with each depression of the trigger without additional slide, bolt or other manual action.
(7) “Shotgun”, a firearm of which the length of barrel is eighteen inches or more which is designed or has been redesigned, made or has been remade to fire a shotgun shell.
SECTION 2.
In the city of Boston, it shall be unlawful to sell, rent, lease, possess, purchase, barter, display, or transfer an assault weapon.
In the city of Boston, it shall be unlawful to sell, rent, lease, possess, purchase, barter, display, or transfer a large capacity magazine or a large capacity ammunition belt.
In the city of Boston, it shall be unlawful to sell, rent, lease, possess, purchase, barter, display, or transfer any part or combination of parts, designed or intended to convert a rifle or shotgun into an assault weapon, or any combination of parts from which an assault weapon may be readily assembled if these parts are in the possession or under the control of the same person.
SECTION 3.
The provisions of this act shall not apply to the possession of assault weapons, large capacity magazines, large capacity ammunition belts, or other types of magazines or ammunition belts by officers, agents, or employees of the commonwealth or any other state or of the United States, members of the armed forces of the United States or the organized militia of the commonwealth or any other state, and law enforcement officers, to the extent that any such person is authorized by competent authority to acquire, possess or carry an assault weapon and is acting within the scope of his duties. The provisions of this act shall not apply to the sale of assault weapons, large capacity magazines, large capacity ammunition belts, or other types of magazines or magazine belts by dealers licensed under section one hundred and twenty-two
of chapter one hundred and forty of the General Laws to those persons described in the first paragraph.
The provisions of this act shall not apply to the possession of assault weapons by persons on the property of a lawfully incorporated sporting or shooting club who are licensed to carry firearms under section one hundred and thirty-one of chapter one hundred and forty of the General Laws.
The provisions of this act shall not apply to the possession of assault weapons, large capacity magazines or large capacity ammunition belts by persons taking part in a competition or attending a meeting or exhibition of any organized group of firearms collectors or travelling to or from such competition, meeting or exhibition; provided, however, that any such person has on his person a firearm identification card for the assault weapons issued pursuant to section one hundred and twenty-nine B of chapter one hundred and forty of the General Laws or is a resident of the United States and has on his person a permit or license to carry or possess firearms, including said assault weapons, issued under the laws of any state, district or territory which has requirements which prohibit the issuance of permits or licenses to persons who have been convicted of a felony or who have been convicted of the unlawful use, possession or sale of narcotic or harmful drugs; provided, further, that any such person who is a resident of the city of Boston shall also have on his person a license to possess the assault weapons issued pursuant to this act; and provided, further, that any assault weapon, while in transit or when at a location other than the competition, meeting, exhibition or owner’s residence, shall be unloaded and packaged.
The provisions of this act shall not apply to the possession of assault weapons by persons while in transit through the city of Boston for the purpose of going or coming from hunting; provided, however, that any such person has on his person a firearm identification card for the assault weapons issued pursuant to section one hundred and twenty-nine B of chapter one hundred and forty of the General Laws or is a resident of the United States and has on his person a permit or license to carry firearms, including said assault weapons, issued under the laws of any state, district or territory which has requirements which prohibit the issuance of permits or licenses to persons who have been convicted of a felony or who have been convicted of the unlawful use, possession or sale of narcotic or harmful drugs; provided, further, that any such person who is a resident of the city of Boston shall also have on his person a license to possess the assault weapons issued pursuant to this act; provided, further, that any such person has on his person a currently valid hunting or sporting license issued by the commonwealth or by the state of his destination; and provided further, that any assault weapon, while in transit, shall be unloaded and packaged.
The provisions of this act shall not apply to the possession of assault weapons, large capacity magazines, large capacity magazine belts, or other types of magazines or ammunition belts by persons specifically authorized to acquire, have, possess or carry an assault weapon pursuant to federal law.
SECTION 4.
Any person who violates the provisions of this act as to an assault weapon shall for a first
offense be punished by a fine of one thousand dollars, and for any subsequent offense by imprisonment for not more than two and one-half years.
Any person who violates the provisions of this act as to a magazine or an ammunition belt shall for a first offense be punished by a fine of two hundred dollars and for any subsequent offense by a fine of five hundred dollars.
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Boston Assault Weapon Ban Info | GOAL | Massachusetts - GOAL.ORG