Slingshots in Massachusetts

As kids we made dumbchucks with two sticks and some rope. I never knew we were risking becoming dangerous felons as 8 yr olds. Two shoes tied together with laces is a dangerous weapon? GHEI.
 
As kids we made dumbchucks with two sticks and some rope. I never knew we were risking becoming dangerous felons as 8 yr olds. Two shoes tied together with laces is a dangerous weapon? GHEI.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A zoobow is basically a placeholder for something to be defined later but that someone wants to lock you for up now.

Cop 1: "Awe shit, he doesn't have anything on him after all."
Cop 2: "Wait, isn't that a zoobow on the front seat?"
Cop 1: "So it is! Book him Danno!"

Queue laugh track, roll credits....
 
I think just typing the word slingshot in Mass gets you a year's probation.

Edit: damn it I'm screwed now.
 
Sling shots are illegal to sell in MA, they are not illegal to possess, if my reading of the law is correct.

Here is the law, no manufacture or sale, but possession isn't banned: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter269/Section12

- - - Updated - - -



Scouts can use them.

OK. I'm confused. This law also seems to imply that it is legal to possess switchblades. Its just illegal to sell or manufacture them. Kind of immaterial since switchblades are legal in NH and could be purchased there and then brought into Mass if its legal.

Thoughts?

Don
 
A couple of weeks ago my 7 year old daughter and I made a small slingshot using some bands she made on her rainbow loom. We used a branch with a Y from out in the yard. She used a knife to whittle notches for the elastics. Good clean fun.

Today, I picked her up at school. She saw a 7 foot long green latex band that my physical therapist gave me to use to exercise my shoulder, looked at me and said "we could make an AWESOME slingshot wtih that thing". I'm sad that my daughter is a future felon. Needless to say, we won't be making this thing into a huge (ly fun) slingshot. Bastards. It would be awesome though. It can be stretched out over 4x with an average pull force of probably 15 lbs.

Think about that. If it can apply an average force of 15 lbs over 10 ft, it will send whatever it sends out with somewhere in the area of 150 ft-lbs of energy.

I'm thinking it could do a bang up job with a lacrosse ball. I'm also thinking we'll bring the band and some lacrosse balls to CT this weekend to play on the beach with the dog. If it can throw the ball 300 ft, it will do a great job tiring him out.

Don
 
OK. I'm confused. This law also seems to imply that it is legal to possess switchblades. Its just illegal to sell or manufacture them. Kind of immaterial since switchblades are legal in NH and could be purchased there and then brought into Mass if its legal.

Thoughts?

Don

You can't carry auto-knives, but possession is legal.

null_zps029b72a4.jpg
 
You can't carry auto-knives, but possession is legal.

Interesting, thanks. I don't think I'd ever own one anyway. I can't seem to get past the price.

CT allows you to carry an auto knife if the blade is 1.5" or less. Most of what I carry a knife for can be done with a 1.5" blade and I still never bothered.
 
Oh man I remember back in 1985 or so my buddy had a great slingshot, another friends father had a bunch of old pinball machines in his basement from the 1950's and had a biblical amount of steel balls for the games and let me tell you the fun we had [wink]
 
I'm also thinking we'll bring the band and some lacrosse balls to CT this weekend to play on the beach with the dog. If it can throw the ball 300 ft, it will do a great job tiring him out.

Don
I once tried that with a wrist-rocket type slingshot made for tennis balls.
The dog just sat there and looked at me like "Are you serious? I brought you here to tire you out."
 
I used to have a wrist rocket and a supply of about 2000 mouse balls from a friend's dad who worked at an HP repair facility. They were slightly out of spec with a dimple or miscolored patch or some similar defect. Those things were heavy as hell and would do some damage.

Oh the joys of youth!
 
Archery can be practiced in one's own backyard.. but a slingshot .. Oh No! .. Archery tackle takes big game all the time... Fred Bear once took a Grizzly with a longbow.. I've never heard of anyone
attempting that with a slingshot! Not even Jorge Sprave..

Yes you can provided shoot your bow legally in your backyard provided you have written permission from the owners of every dwelling within 500 feet of where you shoot and that there is no specific town ordinance against it. Squirrels are the targets of my sling shot all the time, haven't hit one in years though :)
 
Back
Top Bottom