My oldest daughter moved to MA from TN. She lives in Chelsea near Boston and says Chelsea is not actually in Boston so she is not subject to Boston gun laws. We are getting clarification on that. She has been shooting since she was 6, and as an adult in TN had a carry permit and carried a gun a lot. Her iron is at my place now, but as the world keeps getting weirder she is wanting a gun up there. She requested an AR15 which I know isn't legal there, and think would be a bad idea for her to have there.

The option that comes to mind is the shotgun. She has a lot of experience with the Remington 870 and we have those in hunting and defense trim. How regulated are shotguns in MA? Any problem with extended mags on them? She has a childhood 870 in 20 gauge with a short mag tube. It is too nice to shoot someone with, but it's just a gun if we need it. I would like to get her a semi auto 12 gauge really if the shotgun is the best legal option.

Can you all provide some insight into her best option? She can shoot so that isn't a problem. I remember selling all my preban mags and rifles to guys up there after the AWB sunsetted, so I'm guessing a 25 round mag for a 10-22 isn't legal?

What do you all use up there?

She needs to complete a MA approved safety class with a MA approved instructor and then start the application process for License To Carry (LTC) or Firearms ID. She's probably looking at 6 months minimum before its issued once she has completed the class and anything required by the issuing authority.

LTC allows handguns, FID is low capacity shotguns and rifles only. Magazines larger than 10 rounds must be pre-1994 and require an LTC.

Pocessing any firearm or ammunition requires a license.

If it's not in her direct control it must be secured.

Every firearms law infraction is a felony in MA.

As long as she isn't in Boston proper, yes, they are.  She can get a pre-94 and go to town, or get one with a fixed stock, no bayo lug, no flash hider or threads to attach one.  Or she could go fixed mag and own one on an FID card with all the features.

I appreciate the replies! I talked a guy with Chelsea PD and a guy at 4 Seasons gun store. It seems like it isn't practical for her to bring her guns to MA. She would be better off to just get a MA compliant gun there after doing the safety class and jumping through all the hoops. I sold may preban Colts and mags to guys in MA when the ban sunsetted in 2004, but I'm sure I could scratch up some preban mags around here if I tried. Maybe a post ban AR would be good. It seems like the permit to carry isn't a concealed carry pistol permit, just a license to take your gun out of the house

Do you all have a recommendation on the best place to do the safety course near Chelsea?

This doesn't answer your question about safety classes directly, but I'm remiss - I didn't mention GOAL [Gun Owner's Action League] previously.

They're the good people in this state; they have multiple honest to goodness gun lawyers on staff [some of whom are in private practice as well], and they offer excellent training across the state.

https://goal.org/

They have a training section with a number of different focuses.

Hell, I'd give up part of a weekend to do it myself, but I moved to PA.

Good luck, and I hope she enjoys and does well in school.

She will want a Class A with High Capacity.

I'm a life member of GOAL and have been a member since the mid-late 1970s, have volunteered for them for many years and know most of the staff that have worked there. They have never had any lawyers on staff and couldn't afford to do that. They run a small, tight operation. They can provide a list of firearms attorneys to someone who inquires, however. To the OP's question, there is NO need for any attorneys.

As for training, GOAL's director of training is a friend and professional associate of mine, he was my NRA Training Counselor who certified me as an NRA Instructor and he is one of only two instructors that I ever recommend to people who ask me for recommendations other than myself. I would never recommend anyone unless I have personally witnessed them teaching and am certain that they don't spew mis-information about Mass gun laws (an area I specialize in - and this thread has a fair amount of mis-information in it). I'm certified by Mass State Police and teach the required courses, but I'm not near Chelsea. I have recently escaped to NH and now teach at Londonderry (NH) Fish & Game Club. Most of GOAL's training is done in Northboro Mass with range work at Worcester Gun Club, neither of which is anywhere near Chelsea.

There is only one class of LTC in MA since the law change in 2015. However, each town's chief (they issue the LTCs to residents) can restrict the LTC however they wish. That said, few cities/towns currently restrict LTCs. Any applicant ONLY wants "Restrictions: None" to be printed on their LTC.

So what does license to carry mean up there? You can carry your pistol on your belt concealed?

Terrible terminology!

A MA LTC legally allows you to possess guns and ammo. Depending on the restriction put on the LTC determines what you can do with it outside your own property.

As for "large capacity" (also part of the LTC title), it ONLY allows legal possession of large capacity mags (>10 rd for pistol or rifle, >5 rds for shotgun) IFF the mag was manufactured on/before 9/13/1994. Any other large capacity mags are a felony to possess.

Explaining all the nuances of Mass gun laws is why my Mass Gun Laws for and by Non-Lawyers seminar takes 7+ hours!! There are >200 pgs of Mass gun laws on the books!

Like Len said above, but I’ll add a little.

The only LTC is a class A.

However, that Class A LTC can be unrestricted, or have a few different restrictions such as sporting or work.

Unrestricted means you are free to carry a loaded firearm on your person anywhere legal.
No school properties including some universities. Logan airport and area surrounding, post offices and other federal buildings and courts or the statehouse and grounds.

“No firearms allowed” signs have no legal bearing so don’t sweat it if you see them at the mall or restaurants. If you get discovered and asked to leave then walk away. The next step is you will be trespassing.

Restricted means whatever the issuing authority says it means. Sporting is essentially to and from the range or hunting or similar.

Work means just that, work.

Unfortunately I haven’t ever seen a state definition of what they mean so the best guidance is go by what the licensing offices says (if she gets the restricted LTC).

Open vs. concealed carry:
There is no law prohibiting open carry in MA. I’ll have to find it but there was even a ruling that said it’s not grounds for having your LTC revoked.
That said, each towns chief or licensing authority has the discretion called “suitability” where they can deem you not worthy.
There’s been several lawyers winning cases the last few years to gain people rights back that were wrongfully taken.
General guidance is to just conceal and it’s a non issue.

Honestly, don’t overthink this. MA does suck for gun rights in the fact we even need to jump through the hoops to exercise our rights, but it’s a relatively easy (but unnecessary) process.
Take a class, apply and get the LTC, get whatever gun and carry (license permitting).
I’d also recommend having a safe at home and a small safe in the car so she can lock it up if she needs to stop somewhere she can’t carry.

There’s is far too much info the post about or even explain. Check out Northeastshooters.com and just spend time reading over there. Once she takes a class and learns a little I would definitely listen to Len and go take his class. He is a wealth of good info.

To expand on Steve's post:

She should go to NortheastShooters and read the Stickies on Mass gun laws in the following two places:

- Massachusetts Laws sub-forum https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/forums/massachusetts-laws.81/
- My sub-forum Len-2A Training https://www.northeastshooters.com/xen/forums/len-2a-training.322/ [I put newer legal info here so I could lock the thread and avoid the info being buried with miscellaneous responses.]

DJ - she does not have the authority to actually enforce things in that manner, and new manufacture rifles are sold by the score, daily, in state.

@Rustygun

I emailed you about my willingness to help her out with overall minimal expense.

Boston firearms school in Everett. They teach the safety course, give tips on applying for your permit, and offer live fire. Everett is the next town over.