Firearms that are legal in the state of Massachusetts based on the information we have. It is IMPORTANT that you first check with your local dealer to verify and validate this information as laws change, and this is not a legal guide or legal advice. Rifles manufactured before September 1994 are exempt from this law and are commonly referred to as “pre-ban” rifles. These pre-banned rifles are still legally on sale in Massachusetts. Gun stores that already sell newly banned guns will be required to sell their inventory to other stores in various states where they are legal. No. However, a weapon manufactured as an assault weapon cannot be legalized by modifications that allow it to unload .17 or .22 caliber ammunition. No. The fact that a firearm has been labeled “state-compliant” or “Massachusetts compliant” by the manufacturer does not make the purchase and possession of the firearm legal in Massachusetts. Whether a weapon is prohibited depends on its compliance with the definition of assault weapon in state law. A weapon is a prohibited “copy or duplicate” if it meets one of the criteria included in the enforcement notice. The MbaO will also not enforce the law against an arms dealer who possesses or transmits a “copy or duplicate” weapon acquired by July 20, 2016, provided that the transfers, if any, are made to persons or companies located in states where possession of the weapon is legal.

The Attorney General`s Enforcement Notice describes two tests that the National Gallery uses to identify weapons that are “copies or duplicates” because those weapons are similar enough to be considered “imitators” of the listed weapons. No. However, you can take orders to sell offensive weapons to law enforcement officers, and you can get these weapons from your dealer and possess them until you complete the transfer. If you do so, you must retain sufficient information to verify that the person transferred is a law enforcement officer. Yes. However, for reasons of enforcement priorities, the Attorney General`s Office does not expect to take enforcement action in these transactions. Sellers must keep clear evidence of the date on which these transactions were started. The attorney general on Wednesday sent firearms sellers and manufacturers an enforcement notice prohibiting them from selling weapons whose important functional components are interchangeable with offensive weapons. The internal functional components of the weapon are essentially similar to the design or configuration of a weapon, which is expressly prohibited by law (for example, a Colt AR-15 or Kalashnikov AK-47); The list of high-capacity firearms includes weapons that were originally manufactured for the civilian retail market as high-capacity weapons.

There are often state, regional or local buyback programs. Check with your local police department. Yes. Many rifles, shotguns, and pistols are not copies or duplicates of listed assault weapons. For example, the following are not copies or duplicates according to G.L. v. 140, § 121: The State will use a similarity and interchangeability test to determine whether a weapon is too similar to an offensive weapon. If this is the case, the sale of the weapon is prohibited in Massachusetts. Healey said the arms industry defied the state`s ban on assault weapons and exploited it by selling weapons that are extremely similar to offensive weapons.

Healey`s office said last year that about 10,000 assault weapons had been sold in Massachusetts. If you are looking for a Massachusetts Pre-Ban AR-15 or AK-47 rifle, call us at (508) 867-6800 and ask what we have in stock. An even better option is to stop and take a look at what we have, as there is always something exciting on our walls and shelves. The characteristic test referred to in state law and set out in the enforcement notice is a separate and independent basis for concluding that a weapon is a prohibited offensive weapon. This list is not exhaustive; This is for illustrative purposes only. Many other weapons are not offensive weapons or copies or duplicates of assault weapons. You can also hand over any weapon to your local police station or state police at any time for any reason. See 5.15 CMR § 3.06. On July 20, 2016, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy reinterpreted our Assault Weapons Act, which had been in effect in Massachusetts since 1994. From that date, it was illegal for an arms dealer to sell certain semi-automatic rifles and receivers manufactured after September 1994.

The most affected types of rifles are variants, copies and duplicates of AR-15 and AK-47 rifles. If a weapon is a copy or duplicate of one of the models listed in the law, it is an offensive weapon. The enforcement notice does not apply to the possession, possession or transfer of weapons acquired by a firearm owner on or before July 20, 2016. No. The MbaO will work with arms dealers as needed to help them identify weapons that meet one or both tests of a copy or duplicate. No. The Enforcement Notice does not change the list of handguns, including semi-automatic pistols, in the August 2016 version of the list of state-approved firearms. The August 2016 list can be found here. Yes. If the owner uses the weapon before the 20th.

July 2016 and you have proof that you received the weapon only for storage or repair, you can return it as long as you save the transfer. You must keep proof of the circumstances of the transfer. You can also read the separate question above, which lists many weapons for example or category that are not copies or duplicates of offensive weapons according to the execution notice. The Enforcement Notice explains how the MbaO will enforce a law – the offensive weapons ban – enacted in 1998 to protect public safety. With the publication of the notice, the Attorney General hopes and expects that non-compliant arms dealers will voluntarily comply with the law in order to minimize the need for criminal or civil law enforcement. The list of shooting weapons in the Olympic competition contains firearms that have been designated as designed and sold only for Olympic shooting competitions. The National Gallery expects the prohibition on offensive weapons to be fully respected, as explained in the Enforcement Communication, but will apply Commonwealth laws in civil or criminal proceedings if arms dealers or individuals fail to do so. Yes. If you purchased the weapon before July 20, 2016, you can return it to the manufacturer, who can then return it to you after it has been repaired or replaced. The Attorney General intends to give full effect to the legislature`s mandate that offensive weapons, including copies or duplicates of listed weapons, must be held out of the hands of civilians. Yes.

If the receiver is intended for a weapon that would meet any of the tests described above, it will be treated as an offensive weapon and cannot be sold to Massachusetts. You can also consult the instruction manual and marketing materials for a weapon. If a weapon is marked or marketed as “equal” or “similar” with an “AR-15”, an “AK-47” or any other listed weapon, this would strongly indicate that the weapon is prohibited as a “copy or duplicate”. According to Massachusetts law, offensive weapons are defined in different ways. Among other things, the law establishes a list of weapons by make and model that are prohibited. The law goes on to say that “copies or duplicates” of listed weapons are also prohibited. Anyway, there is a list of features that turn some weapons into offensive weapons. The Attorney General`s Office has banned the following weapons: As explained in the notice, “copies” or “duplicates” of prohibited assault weapons include semi-automatic weapons that may contain a removable ammunition magazine and meet one of the following tests: The crackdown on offensive weapons comes after several mass shootings in recent months.