Gun Appreciation Thread

Originally Posted by Bhowie

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Can anyone tell me if Massachusetts has any gun control laws or regulations that are different than Texas, do I need to register or anything? I only have a few shotguns and a rifle.

Originally Posted by Bhowie

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Looks like I'll be selling my guns, or I'll give them to my parents. Thanks Justin.

Sorry for the long post but below should give you all the basic information you will need to know when moving the the The People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts or you can visit http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/forum.php

I am from MA and it is a pain and we will have some restrictions based on what firearms you do have and you are possibly neuter your riffles based on what you have.

Moving With Firearms

In MA, there is the FID, which is shall-issue but only allows you to own low-capacity rifles and shotguns, and the LTC-B and A. Forget the B, it's useless. Go for the A, as it costs the same as the two other licenses and lets you own everything MA legal (the others don't) except machine guns, plus allows concealed carry if unrestricted.. So, getting one is your first priority on moving.

You can bring your firearms with you when you move, and this may be desirable as this is the only way you can get your firearms into the state without having to file registration forms on them once they're here. Bring them with you, immediately lock them up on arriving, and then start the LTC process. You have 60 days to apply for your license from the time you move in with firearms, but you want to do it as fast as possible so you can receive it within that 60 days.

As soon as you arrive, go to the RMV, get your car registration and license switched, and send in a voter registration, set up utilities and update your bank statements to your MA address. This should be enough to prove residency so you can start the application process with your town's PD.

If you choose to leave your firearms and bring them later, you will need to file an FA-10 form with the Criminal History Systems Board for each firearm brought in later (plus any firearms you buy in MA). These forms can be obtained from your local PD.

What Can I Bring?
There are a few classes of firearms that are not allowed in Massachuetts. So called "assault weapons," which have the same definition as under the old, expired Federal Assault Weapons Ban, cannot be brought in unless they were in AW configuration before 9/13/1994.

Thus, using an AR-15 as an example, your rifle has to have been a preban receiver with bayonet lug, flash hider, folding/collapsible stock, grenade launcher, or a threaded muzzle, etc made before that date to be legal in MA. If it was manufactured after that date, you'll have to cut off the bayonet lug, permanently pin any collapsible stock, and remove the flash hider and threads or permanently cover the threads with a muzzle brake. This also goes for any other rifles, such as post-ban AKs, which may have these features.

Basically, for a rifle with a detachable magazine or fixed magazine holding over ten rounds, (other than a fixed, tubular magazine .22 rifle), you can have one of the following: Pistol grip, flash suppressor, threaded muzzle or flash suppressor, collapsible/folding stock, bayonet lug, grenade launcher.

Also, you can't bring post-ban "assault pistols" that weigh over 50 ounces. Thus, without massive surgery, AR pistols and the like are out.

Certain classes of semiautomatic shotguns are also covered.

Violation of the above is a felony.

Other than that: Boston has a ban on the FN 5.7 pistol, SW500 revolver, Barrett .50BMG, and its own assault weapons ban that is more restrictive in certain ways (NO AR-15s, FALs, AKs, SKSs, period), as well as a ban on possessing any long gun magazines holding over ten rounds or shotgun mags holding more than 6 shells. This is a "home rule" regulation that only applies to residents of Boston, according to a vacationing attorney.

That's pretty easy to comply with. However, possession of large capacity magazines made after 9/13/1994 is a straight felony. There are ways to tell with some mags, others may be more difficult to tell. If you have any newer mags, you'll have to sell them before you come, or leave them with someone, and buy ten rounders.

In MA we have a MA compliance list which only applies to handguns sold to you by a MA FFL dealer, but you can buy guns that are not on a MA compliance list thru private sales.

If I were you I would get all the Handguns that are not on a the list (Glock, XD's, etc.) and then move to MA.

Originally Posted by jcuecker

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I just bought a W. German Sig P226 as my first handgun. I absolutely love it. very accurate and shoots everything I put through it.

Cool. I wish I'd picked one of those up when they first turned-up.

Originally Posted by chrisjr

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Thank you. Might look into buying online and having it shipped to Canada as well, not sure if that would bypass any problems. It's such a pain ********** shooting up here I might just give it up 'til I move to the States anyhow. Was up at my grandfather's farm on Saturday shooting my remington 870 and savage .22 with another buddy who's got his licence and the police showed up. Said they were letting us off lightly after harassing us for a while... gave us each a $610 ticket for breaking the bylaw banning discharging a firearm within city limits (we were in a very rural area on an 8 acre piece of land/farm), threatened to seize my guns and ammo permanently if we did not comply, threatened to arrest us. Really sucks living in a gun-unfriendly country and, though i know i should have checked the local bylaws first, common sense told me that in this country area using a large amount of land for safe shooting wouldn't be a problem.
I wholeheartedly agree with you about Canada's draconian gun laws, but I suggest getting familiar with firearms laws as you are currently doing a disservice to fellow Canadian gun owners... The police went easy on you. Firearms have been seized, prohibitions ordered, and folks sent to jail for smaller problems. I can say that you are looking at about $200 to import a firearm from the States by going through an importer. Unless the gun is exotic or unavailable in Canada, it doesn't make sense to import.

Originally Posted by gic102

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I wholeheartedly agree with you about Canada's draconian gun laws

Meh, having grown-up in Australia, Canada still seems pretty lax on firearms restrictions.

AND Canadians get some cool genuine Norinco M14s, VZ58s, MG34s and stuff like that - with original receivers and barrels!

http://www.marstar.ca/main/rifles.shtm

Originally Posted by gic102

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but I suggest getting familiar with firearms laws as you are currently doing a disservice to fellow Canadian gun owners.

+ 1

If you don't like the laws - work to change them. Don't screw things up for those of us who follow the laws, no matter how silly we think they are.

Aye after that experience I will be sure to understand the local bylaws before I shoot again. I will likely just join a gun club in toronto and save the outdoor shooting for special occasions. Thanks for the heads up, and though its tough to consider myself lucky after getting a $610 ticket, it certainly is nothing compared to gun seizure and/or a night in jail.

A friend's boyfriend's house was broken into last week - he's decided to get a gun and to buy her one as well. She's been to the range once with me - a double-stack 9mm was too large for her hands (it was either a M&P or a Glock 19, can't remember) but did well shooting my Ruger 22/45 (the one with wood 1911-esque grip panels).

She told me she wants to get a Ruger .22, specifically for self-defense. Her argument was that she just wanted to 'stop someone, not blow them away.' I didn't have time to correct her on this, unfortunately.

I figure the first step is telling them to take a NRA basics course together, then a day on the range (I have access to a wide variety of 9's to bring).

But assuming I still can't get her comfortable with a 9mm, would you ever encourage someone to use a .22 as a primary home defense weapon? 10 hits with Mini-Mags beats a miss with a 9, I guess?

I'm thinking I might borrow my father's Sig P238 and Walther PPK/S on range day. More expensive ammo, but possibly easier to manipulate. I wish I still had my Walther PPS, I think it might have been the perfect size.

^

How about a wheel-gun? Or how about pepper spray?

Originally Posted by milosz

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She told me she wants to get a Ruger .22, specifically for self-defense. Her argument was that she just wanted to 'stop someone, not blow them away.' I didn't have time to correct her on this, unfortunately. I figure the first step is telling them to take a NRA basics course together, then a day on the range (I have access to a wide variety of 9's to bring). But assuming I still can't get her comfortable with a 9mm, would you ever encourage someone to use a .22 as a primary home defense weapon? 10 hits with Mini-Mags beats a miss with a 9, I guess?
At least she has the right mind set. The entire premise of SD is to stop the threat. The cold hard fact of using lethal force is that you will most likely kill someone. What they both need to do is take the basic handgun course first. that will give them a working knowledge of the various actions, proper nomenclature, gun safety and handling and a rudimentary introduction on marksmanship. Then they need to handle and shoot a variety of handguns and get a feel for the different calibers, grip angles, sights etc. In self defense the golden rule is to find the largest caliber you can shoot comfortably and will practice with on a regular basis. ( This needs to be kept in the perspective of SD calibers.) The most common and cheapest centerfire calibers are the 9mm and .38 Special. Both are entirely adequate for self defense. Both are low recoiling and very accurate. Now concerning the whole 22 caliber thing for PD. Yeah 10 well placed shots with a 22 is far better than a miss with a 155mm howitzer. A 22 has several problems that make it a poor choice for SD in general. First off rimfire ammo is not as reliable as centerfire ammo in regards to ignition. The second problem revolves around ballistics. You need to remember the idea is to stop the threat immediately, not in a minute or two or an hour later. To stop a determined attack with a 22 means you have to hit a couple of very small targets on the human body under ideal conditions to be able to stop an attack immediately. I could elaborate further but I'm sure you already know the problems. Personally my recommendation for both of them would be a .38/.357 mag revolver. It's cheap to practice with, can be loaded with +P .38s or mags for PD, generally way more reliable than an auto, easier to manipulate under stress and so on. Yeah it's not as sexy looking as some autos and it doesn't hold a bizzilion rounds but oh well. Sexy doesn't mean jack in a PD situation and I don't care how much ammo your gun can hold. If you don't hit the intended target with well placed shots it won't matter anyway. Oh and after they pick what guns they want then they should take the personal defense in the home course offered by the NRA as well. That course goes into some self defense law, tactics etc. It'll help get rid of some of the common misconceptions about home defense that seem to be so prevalent these days that'll get you killed in your own home.

Originally Posted by milosz

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would you ever encourage someone to use a .22 as a primary home defense weapon? 10 hits with Mini-Mags beats a miss with a 9, I guess?


The bigger issue is that I don't trust a rimfire round for self-defense.

Ever have a .22 LR misfire? I have, plenty of times. You probably have as well. When you shoot a lot of bulk .22 LR you will run into a dud now and again. Modern manufacturing is great stuff but frankly bulk .22 LR ammo is produced with low cost in mind first and reliability second.

"The loudest sound in the world is a 'click' when you expect a 'bang'." (The reverse is also true!)

Frankly I am fine with her not liking the Glock 19. I have two of them and the grip is very bulky. In true SF fashion, we would never recommend clothes that don't fit the wearer, and the same goes for guns.

There are plenty of good single-stack 9mms that will fit her hand better than a blocky Glock 19. As an example, have her rent any one of the single-stack Kahr pistols in 9mm and see how she likes them. Kimber and other 1911 manufacturers also make single-stack 9mm handguns. Maybe she'll go for a Sig P225.

Point is, there are many slim 9mm autos on the market that don't suffer from the inherent reliability problems of a rimfire. I think you are doing the right thing in taking her to the range and letting her "test drive" guns before she buys one. Steer her a bit more and direct her to a reliable centerfire handgun.

There are a bunch of S&W 6906s hitting the market for > $350. All ex- California Dept. of Corrections, so probably very minimal use with some holster wear. I think I NEED one!

Bought a Smith and Wesson M&P15 today (22LR) to plink with down at the shooting range. Great little gun, came packaged with a scope. Can't wait to shoot this one at some targets. Funny thing, I was distracted when filling out the background check forms and rushed through the section where you tick off the boxes.. The guy picked up my form, looked at me real hard, and said "uh, sir, you realize I can't sell you a firearm with you being both a convicted felon and a fugitive from justice don't you??" Priceless.

Originally Posted by gnatty8

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Bought a Smith and Wesson M&P15 today (22LR) to plink with down at the shooting range. Great little gun, came packaged with a scope. Can't wait to shoot this one at some targets. Funny thing, I was distracted when filling out the background check forms and rushed through the section where you tick off the boxes.. The guy picked up my form, looked at me real hard, and said "uh, sir, you realize I can't sell you a firearm with you being both a convicted felon and a fugitive from justice don't you??" Priceless.

Cool pistol and funny story.

I just found a new FFL place to do transfers in Houston - $15 for the first and $5 after that for CHL holders!

I bought a CA DOC S&W 696, a Cross-Breed Supertuck holster for it, some spare mags (6906 and 15r 5906) as well as some Coco Bollo grips from Hogue.

Originally Posted by JustinW

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Cool pistol and funny story.

I just found a new FFL place to do transfers in Houston - $15 for the first and $5 after that for CHL holders!

I bought a CA DOC S&W 696, a Cross-Breed Supertuck holster for it, some spare mags (6906 and 15r 5906) as well as some Coco Bollo grips from Hogue.

Where did you find the gun?

Originally Posted by Rosenberg

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Where did you find the gun?

BPW has the cheapest - selling all their CA DOC 6906 and 5906s for $300, though I paid an extra $30 for a nice one from Cole's Distributing. CDNN had them for a good price, but I'd have to add sale's tax.

I'm excited about transferring two firearms for just $20 through AMSS! And they will start doing NFA transfers next month.

Got a new blacked out Taurus Slim 9, and although I am loathe to actually recommend a Taurus, it's the ****.