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Massachusetts gun ownership question


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This IS the land of the free because each state gets the government it wants. Guns are just as unpopular in MA and NJ as they are popular in Idaho and Texas. Yes I know plenty of gun owners exist in blue states, but they are quite obviously a minority. Until the Supreme Court rules that the Second Amendment actually means what it says there's nothing stopping the anti-gun states from passing whatever laws they want. Chicago and DC banned handguns outright until the SC ruled that they can't do that, so they replied with strict laws that still make it a bear to own one but which doesn't violate the DC v. Heller ruling. This will keep happening until the Second Amendment finally gets some teeth. At the moment cities and states can restrict everything but 1700's era flintlock muskets and still be able to claim that technically they're not violating your Second Amendment rights.

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9 minutes ago, Sixgun Sheridan said:

This IS the land of the free because each state gets the government it wants. Guns are just as unpopular in MA and NJ as they are popular in Idaho and Texas. Yes I know plenty of gun owners exist in blue states, but they are quite obviously a minority. Until the Supreme Court rules that the Second Amendment actually means what it says there's nothing stopping the anti-gun states from passing whatever laws they want. Chicago and DC banned handguns outright until the SC ruled that they can't do that, so they replied with strict laws that still make it a bear to own one but which doesn't violate the DC v. Heller ruling. This will keep happening until the Second Amendment finally gets some teeth. At the moment cities and states can restrict everything but 1700's era flintlock muskets and still be able to claim that technically they're not violating your Second Amendment rights.

 

All the while KNOWING they are doing exactly that. Any politician who either argues that the 2nd ONLY applies to muskets is either 100% dishonest or so incredibly ignorant he/she should never be in a position to make law.

 

Generally I think the 100% dishonest applies in most cases.

 

 

 

 

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On April 23, 2019 at 1:02 PM, Sixgun Sheridan said:

It wouldn't surprise me if being caught with a copy of Guns & Ammo in your bathroom would be cause for arrest.

Could raise a big stink.

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Guest Texas jack Black SASS#9362
1 hour ago, Dantankerous said:

 

Never intended to be free?

 

Then why did the colonists go to war with the British fighting for a better way of life, free from the tyranny the Crown held over the Colonies?

 

 

 

Taxation without representation   Tea tax really ticked off the Colonialists.:FlagAm:

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3 hours ago, Texas jack Black SASS#9362 said:

Sorry , but this is fake news.:FlagAm:

Sir,

It may be old news, I was there in the mid 80s, but I can assure that I experienced these events, and more like them.  If it's not like that now, I apologize. I was recounting my experiences from my time there.

There is nothing fake about it, and I'll thank you to NOT call me a liar.:angry:

Moderators, if I'm in the wrong here, feel free to delete me.

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1 hour ago, Texas jack Black SASS#9362 said:

 

Taxation without representation   Tea tax really ticked off the Colonialists.:FlagAm:

 

 Taxation without representation was indeed one of the reasons and a very important one. I'm sure you well know that the Declaration of Independence lists a number of grievances that the colonists had with the British rule. All they wanted was to be free from the tyranny under which the Crown was ruling the colonies. They were brave and wise man. Today this country is being led by a fair number of people who do not fit those same descriptions. I'm sure Jefferson and Adams and Monroe and Washington and their contemporaries would look upon Washington DC today and shake their heads in sadness,  quite possibly wondering what happened to their convictions and efforts and sacrifice.

 

 States rights are certainly important but when lawmakers in some states seem to ignore the founding father's intent we should be very cautious and vigilant. 

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I've lived in Massachusetts for 50 years.   I will be one of the first to admit that our gun laws are ridiculous, but for good or for it, it's still home.

 

Trying to keep track of the details of our laws, and when various aspects of them changed, can be a challenge.   I remember when I got my first job at K-Mart, back in 1985, we had to treat sales of BB guns exactly the same a firearms.   Needed to see the gun permit, fill out the 4478 and Mass FA-10, and all that stuff.   It was only when NICS got created that the ATF said to the Commonwealth, "STOP IT" that they changed the requirements.   Don't know if it was an actual law or a rule.  

 

Other laws can be very confusing, the old standby of "FID (Firearms Identification Car) for rifles or shotguns only, LTC (License to Carry) for pistols as well" is not as clear as it once was.  For a while the LTC was split into class A and B.  A was for "large capacity" and were usually unrestricted and B was for non large capacity and usually had other restrictions based on the whim of the local Chief of Police.   Recently the class B was done away with, and almost all of them are issued with no restrictions anymore, subject to where you live, but the appeal process has gotten easier to deal with.   It used to be even MORE complicated, but we won't go there.   There is some ambiguity on if an FID allows you to purchase and keep a pistol in your home.  Some say yes, some say no.

 

Once upon a time, you could have no more than 1000 primers in your home for reloading.   I am not sure it that has changed or not.  Large pistol, large rifle, small pistol, small rifle, shotgun.   Do the math...

 

Curios and Relics until very recently were an item of much confusion.   Some thought that they were exempt from certain rules, others were not sure.  (Assuming you have the C&R License.  Not in general)   Recently, that was changed, and it was clarified that C&R guns are exempt for people who have it.  But for some reason, even though they are all over 50 years old, the CMP would not sell a 1911 to a Mass resident.

 

We have an almost word for word copy of the old Federal Assault Weapons Ban on the books here, signed into law by a Republican governor.

 

And then there are the pistols that you are, and are not, allowed to buy here based on various testing regulation to determine if they are a "safe design."      The Beretta 92 FS is safe, but the Beretta M9 is not.   How can that be?   Simple, pistols marked 92 FS were submitted for testing.  Pistols marked M9 were not.  Oh, the SAA and 1911, unsafe.   Never submitted, but they would not pass.   There are a couple of 1911 type pistols that have been approved, but they were modified to be acceptable here.

 

And then there is our attorney general, who has the "power" to determine what the laws mean on a whim.   Our above mentioned assault weapons law bans certain specific models, defines "assault weapon" in terms of specific features, and also has a "functional equivalent" clause.   Well, in order to sell here, for years various AR-15 type rifles with no flash suppresser or bayonet lug, ones that were designed and marketed according to the letter of the law,  were sold here perfectly legally.   Then one day the AG decided that they were functionally equivalent to banned ones and outlawed their sale.   The status of the ones sold during the many hears when they were legally sold is much debated.

 

In other words, yeah, we got it bad.

 

BUT, once you've got that LTC, you can buy anything you want that happens to already be in the state.  (Bringing things in is a whole other mess)  And, there's no waiting period.   Is it right?   No.   Is it is bad as it is in some other states?   In some ways yes, and in some ways no.  

 

And for good or for ill, it's home.   It's not always an option to just leave.   Not even to as attractive a place as New Hampshire which is close by and has much more, for lack of a better term, reasonable laws on the books.

 

And we are nice people.   Sure, we drive like idiots, or as we call ourselves locally, Massholes, but that's just because we do.

 

And our sports teams are the best!

 

Once, when I was in DC, I said to a couple of fellows from Chicago, "Oh, Chicago's nice.  You've got the second best ballpark in the world."  They looked at me funny for a second and said, "You're from Boston, aren't you?"

 

 

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3 hours ago, H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619 said:

I've lived in Massachusetts for 50 years.   I will be one of the first to admit that our gun laws are ridiculous, but for good or for it, it's still home.

 

Trying to keep track of the details of our laws, and when various aspects of them changed, can be a challenge.   I remember when I got my first job at K-Mart, back in 1985, we had to treat sales of guns exactly the same a firearms.  

Huh?? :blink:

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Guest Texas jack Black SASS#9362
56 minutes ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Huh?? :blink:

   BB guns are on the shelf for anyone 18 yrs of age to purchase :FlagAm:

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Guest Texas jack Black SASS#9362
1 hour ago, Utah Bob #35998 said:

Huh?? :blink:

 

 

 Brandishing a BB gun in Colorado is a felony :blink: so all states have some very interesting restrictive laws sad  we are not free and never were Still a wonderful country compared to ALL others.:FlagAm:

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