At What Year Do Rifles Not Have To Be Registered In Massachusetts

20 Nov The Elevation V Myths About Owning a Gun in Massachusetts

Posted at 09:00h in Blog 105 Comments

Time to Clear Up Some Misconceptions…

When we teach our MA Firearms Safety Courses we get the pleasure of hearing quite a few interesting opinions on what you can and cannot do with a gun in Massachusetts. Some are valid… others, non and so much.

Then… Nosotros decided to compile the Top Five Myths About Owning a Gun in Massachusetts!

Myth #i: You Have to Store Your Gun and Ammo Separately in Your Home

I ask every single form this question: Tin you lot leave a loaded handgun in a condom? We usually go a varied range of responses, with some folks suggesting that you keep your ammo and gun split up even when locked in a secure container. I aspect this to a processing error when people read that "a firearm must be secured with a trigger lock or cablevision lock device, or in a safe or locked container" every bit people tend to tune out once they recollect that they have read the complete sentence.

No… yous don't take to lock your gun upwards after you lot disassemble information technology, take your ammo to your neighbor's house, and hibernate your firing pin. Simply phase your gun for its intended purpose. My home defense pistols are staged simply for that. Loaded in condition one and staged for home defense.

Myth #2: If You Defend Yourself With Your Firearm You WILL Go Arrested.

I'm going to put this one as "depends." There are a lot of factors that come up in to play when y'all defend yourself with a firearm. Offset and foremost, you lot have to know the laws that arespecific to your state. For instance if you say Castle Doctrine in Texas, it ways a completely unlike affair than information technology does in Massachusetts.

The bottom line is you have to educate yourself on the appropriate use of force rules for your state. The best manner to do that is to accept a Use of Strength class such as our Use of Force | Dwelling Defence | Curtained Carry Class which volition teach you all y'all demand to know about using lethal force to protect yourself and your loved ones. Remember: your goals should be staying live, and staying out of jail.

Myth #iii: Police Chiefs Can Deny Anyone a License to Behave for Any Reason… and there's nothing yous can do about it.

Nope. Since the changes in 2014 to the firearms laws in MA you now have a right of entreatment at theDistrict Court level.This is big every bit prior to the changes in the laws, yous were stuck in the cerise record of the Firearms Tape Agency and the whole procedure was a mess. You will either exist issued or denied a license inside forty days. If you are denied, you then have ninety days to entreatment the denial in the District Court. In guild for the Commune court to uphold the denial it must be institute that:

(A) reliable, articulable, and credible information that the applicant has exhibited or engaged in beliefs to suggest the bidder could potentially create a risk to public safety; or

"(B) existing factors that advise that the applicant could potentially create a risk to public rubber.

This is expert as it FINALLY puts a standard burden of proof on what supports the denial. This certainly makes owning a gun in Massachusetts a bit easier. More than data tin be establish at GOAL.org'southward License Denial Page.

Myth #iv: You Can't Open Carry in Massachusetts. Always. Period. Stop of Story.

Nope again. In fact, in 2013 the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts actually ruled in our favor in the instance of FRB v. Simkin. In this case Mr. Simkin was at a medical appointment during which one of the technicians became scared of his lawfully carried firearm, which he disclosed prior to disrobing. Check out what the SJC said:

…nosotros suspect that the average Massachusetts resident may become "alarmed" on learning that someone other than a police enforcement officeholder is carrying concealed weapons in his or her presence. However, Simkin is not responsible for warning caused to others by his mere carrying of concealed weapons pursuant to a license permitting him to do exactly that. Although the bureau claims that Simkin "went out of his way to evidence and inform certain staff members that he was ․ armed," the tape indicates otherwise. Simkin concealed his weapons until he was in the examination room and was virtually to disrobe, at which time he notified the medical banana that he was carrying concealed weapons and was going to secure them, presumably so that she would non be alarmed. Farther, he had disclosed the fact that he was armed immediately prior to disrobing during a previous visit to the same medical office, albeit to a different practitioner, and had received no objection to his behavior either during or after the visit. – Encounter more at: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ma-supreme-judicial-court/1641408.html

While it is not prudent to openly deport a firearm in Massachusetts, or anywhere yous tin can lawfully conceal it for that matter, you lot certainly tin can.

That beingness said… conceal your shootin' irons. Delight. It volition scare the sheep otherwise.

Myth #5: You Can't Buy Ammunition Online and Have it Sent To Massachusetts.

Ha…. My UPS and Fedex delivery drivers will tell y'all differently based on the amount of ordnance that shows up at my door on the regular.

Repeat after me: In that location is no law that prohibits ownership ammo online and having it sent to a duly licensed person in Massachusetts.

Some vendors take made the determination not to sell to persons in Massachusetts due to previous Attorneys Full general bringing suits against them for selling the ammo to MA residents. Which was bovine excrement. To my knowledge this hasn't happened recently.

Do your inquiry and find out which companies transport to MA.

Do y'all take any other myths you want debunked? Go out them in the comment box and let us know!

Robert Curran

rob@tacdynamics.com

Rob is co-possessor of Tactical Dynamics Firearms Grooming and is a USMC veteran and active Law Enforcement Officer. Rob is a Sig Sauer Master Rated Firearms Instructor and holds several other ratings from diverse institutions.