Hello guys,

I am moving to Massachusetts. I need to know what gun law I have to abide by. Some says that without a formal firearms safety training course one cannot keep the gun. Is that true? Care to shed some light on this topic.

I don't know most of their laws, but I do know a you can't buy ammo there without some sort of permit.  With that said, good luck.  I'd move somewhere else if I had the option.

New Hampshire and commute.

Texas and commute

There is probably a better place for this question. You posted it in the exercise forum.

Check the MA Hometown forum for more detailed answers, but here are the highlights:

- need a MA Firearms ID Card for purchase of guns/ammo
- Carry permit is near impossible to obtain (BUT, MA Carry permits are issued by the local LE chief.  So if you live in a town with a firearm friendly chief or have a personal relationship, you have a better chance.  Boston PD=no way in hell)
- Assault weapon ban, not sure exact details
- high cap mag ban, not sure details

I'm sorry.

Exactly.......move somewhere else.

Wrong on so many counts.

FID Cards are good for acquiring and possessing non-large capacity long guns and ammunition. There was a point when, with a pistol purchase permit, an FID holder could maintain a non-large capacity handgun in the home- but that time is gone. (During that time, an FID holder with a pistol purchase permit had no authority to take the pistol anywhere out of the home).

LTC (License to Carry) is not almost impossible to obtain. In a vast majority of towns, they are routinely issued without restriction to all or nearly all applicants. The two hurdles are (1) suitability, which can be subjective (but for the typical person is not a problem) and (2) restrictions. Some towns will not issue ALP without a really good reason. Some will issue after holding a restricted LTC for a period of time. Restrtictions (in the places that restrict) are often based on an applicant's reason for licensure. Common restrictions are hunting/target, sporting, or employment. IA's can make custom restrictions to meet individual circumstances. Carrying outside of restrictions is punishable by revocation and a hefty civil fine. There are plenty of people who obtain LTCs in anti-gun cities. Often they are restricted, however it is possible in some to get ALP if situations warrant it (e.g. it is not uncommon for business owners to be able to get ALP in places like Boston and Springfield (which has also issued some protection restricted licenses).

The training requirement is fairly easy to meet. Some of the courses are less than a day long. Some don't even include live fire. NRA Home Firearm Safety, for example, counts. The catch is that the acceptable course must be taught by an MASP Certified BFS Instructor. I have an MA BFS certification so qualifying courses that I instruct also meet the requirement for obtaining an FID or LTC (LTC acceptable courses may be used for an FID but not vice versa). The same course, taught by a non-MASP BFS certified instructor is not acceptable. It's stupid since the NRA is very rigid on curriculum- but that's government policy for you. It would be advisable to supplement your BFS course with a Mass law course, like the one Len S teaches. Many basic instructors will do a nice job of providing people with the basics, but there are a lot technical ptfalls in that gun owners need to be aware of.

The AWB and mag restrictions mirror the former federal restrictions. Also, you need to have an LTC in order to possess any large capacity firearm (long gun or handgun). Assault weapons, including prebans, are large capacity regardless of what mags they can potentially accept.

Machine guns do require a separate machine gun license in addition to an LTC. Those are much less common and can be more political, though some towns do have fairly tolerable policies regarding issuance.

Mass isn't the end of the world. In fact, had I continued to work where I was in Connecticut- there is a decent chance that I would have moved to one of the border towns on the Mass side of the line. Those towns (that I was considering, mostly in lower Berkshire County) were much more affordable in terms of housing (than adjacent communities in CT), good for LTC issuance, and were better on some other gun issues than Connecticut. The really big thing going against Mass is the AG's restrictions. Had I made that move (which isn't/won't be happening since I now work much closer to where I live), I would certainly have bought a few things that I am otherwise putting off to the future- since they can be difficult to find and cost a premium in Mass).

Guess that depends on your point of view.  No way in hell I would live there.  That is why I live in AZ, I enjoy freedom and my constitutional rights.

Thank you SIG_gunner for the help. I'll check out the topic for more information in this regard. I guess people who are living in Massachusetts have to face so much difficulty to get the firearms license. At first they have to go through firearms safety training course, then apply for the license, only then they can buy, sell, modify their weapon. There are many laws which sound strange in Boston.

What part of Mass are you looking at moving to?

You could easily find a class for less than $100 that will take well less than a day to complete. If  you are having difficulty finding a course feel free to  email me and I would be glad to arrange a 1:1 (or small group if you have interested friends) HFS* class, which will meet Mass requirements to an FID or LTC [if you are over 21, my recommendation is apply for an LTC, regardless of whether you have any interest in handguns] for you at your location in Mass when you get there (or at mine in Connecticut).  If you're experienced, the 'how not to shoot yourself' instruction will seem pointless, but I'm sure you'll learn a couple of things.

As I said before, the Mass Gun Laws By and For Non-lawyers course that 2A Training (Len S) offers would be really good for you to take when you get up here. Note that I have no affiliation with Len or his business.  

*HFS is home firearm safety. I can also teach Basic Rifle, which is valid for FID only and Basic Pistol which is valid for LTC or FID. I generally only recommend HFS for people who are either experienced and taking the course to meet an administrative requirement (or who are just looking for an LTC/FID as a way to avoid legal problems) or who are looking for basic 'what is it/ how not to shoot yourself' instruction in case they encounter a firearm somewhere. HFS is not a live fire course, though I try to work hands on exercises with dummies into the class. For people with little or no firearms experience, I recommend Basic Pistol , which is a  longer live fire course.

One of the really nice things about Mass is that there is an abundance of very economical gun clubs with decent facilities.

Some useful info here also:

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/56054-MOVING-to-Massachusetts-Read-Here-First!

I moved from MA to AZ, night and day difference. F*ck a FID, I have NFA toys and just fo'ed on a my first can, a CCP even though it's not needed here, and hassle free purchases at the LGS's local to me. Bottom line, freedom is a night and day difference so YES, it is a big matter.

Even my blue voting mother is moving, to a red state too down south.

Any chance you can live in Southern NH and commute to MA?  I have a 70 min drive to work each day to avoid living in that shit hole.

 

As asked before, what part of MA are you moving to? If Western MA, then LTC's aren't a problem in most towns. Eastern MA can be a different story.

Hello JAD, thanks for such a nice reply. I'm looking forward to joining firearms safety training classes which are conducted by Boston Firearms Safety Training Center. It is very famous institute, I guess, as many of my friends who got LTC in 40 states through this firearms school have been recommending it to me. However, I'll join it next year in February only after making sure it is the only training center best in Boston.

Check out http://massfirearms.com/  Easily the best training facility in Massachusetts.

There are NO "famous" schools in MA, however many schools differ on the quality of the "product" they offer.

If you merely need a "ticket" to get your MA LTC (and you ONLY legally have 60 days from moving in to get your MA LTC) due to the fact that you have years of firearms experience and practice "safety is number one", you may want to take the cheapest course out there.

If you have lesser experience you should take a high quality class with a top-notch instructor, and NOT the person who offers the cheapest "puppy mill" class.

No matter what your experience is, if you want to sharpen your shooting skills, by reputation probably the best person to connect with in MA will be Cloverleaf Firearms. Every person who has taken training with him has reported back massive improvements in their skills with pistol or rifle. Someday I hope to connect up with Stu for some of his training. The only connection I have with him is that he was an attentive student in one of my MA Gun Law Seminars. http://www.cloverleaffirearmsgroup.com/

Lastly, if you want to learn about the MA gun laws so that you don't get jammed up (almost everything in MA is a felony and makes you a PP for life), you should consider taking my MA Gun Law Seminar. It is NOT what you learn in a basic firearms class to get your LTC, it is a lot deeper and takes 5+ hours on average.

Hey, Gunner Jacky... Did you ever make the move?
How has it worked out for you?
Art