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Boston Police Range

mvagusta77

mvagusta77

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just took my range test for my license at boston police range. scored 276 out of 300. great guys up there. i was nervous and not sure what to expect but they were great. just wanted to share. should be getting my license soon hopefully.[smile][smile]
 
60 buckscash said:
Isn't that above and beyond what is required by the state?
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it's above and beyond, but I think it's one of those things that is lumped under the whole "discretion of the chief of police" sort of deal that MA has been operating on. I stopped trying to figure it out.

It's actually the only thing I can't complain about the licensing process. It's BS that we have to do it, but come on... shooting a firearm for an application for a LTC is pretty fun.
 
60 buckscash said:
Isn't that above and beyond what is required by the state?
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Nice to have you back Rib Van Winkle! There's a whole thread of requirements above and beyond the state requirements
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/79036-Non-Standard-licensing-requirements

In the grand scheme of things the range test is one of the most innocuous extra requirements imposed by departments. I'll take that over letters of recommendations, doctor's notes, etc. any day. I'm working with a student who would likely qualify for an unrestricted LTC if he lived in Boston. But because of his town, not only will he probably get restricted, he also has to have three letters of recommendation and had to take a second safety course because his town only accepts coursed that include 'live fire'.

The range requirement was upheld in Superior court several years ago - see McNutt v. Police Commissioner of Boston. The only upside from this case was that the shooting is on the Bopo's dime, not the applicant's.

All-in-all, Boston is FAR from the worst town in MA for licensing. You may not like the rules, but they're not as bad as many other towns and they are uniformly and efficiently applied. If you qualify, you get it. If you don't, you're restricted. It's also walk-in service any business day.
 
flintoid said:
It's actually the only thing I can't complain about the licensing process. It's BS that we have to do it, but come on... shooting a firearm for an application for a LTC is pretty fun.
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Yes, shooting an old, full-size revolver when you have arthritis is pure joy.

Or if you have small hands, such as women, Hispanics and Asians often do.

Shooting a revolver at ALL when you want to carry an auto makes sense too.

ALMOST as much as making people qualify for a carry license by shooting the type of handgun - a full-sized revolver - most applicants have absolutely NO intention of attempting to carry concealed.
 
Scrivener said:
Yes, shooting an old, full-size revolver when you have arthritis is pure joy.

Or if you have small hands, such as women, Hispanics and Asians often do.

Shooting a revolver at ALL when you want to carry an auto makes sense too.

ALMOST as much as making people qualify for a carry license by shooting the type of handgun - a full-sized revolver - most applicants have absolutely NO intention of attempting to carry concealed.
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Yup. I classify it as pure harassment. Let`s set the applicant up to fail. Did I already mention how much I hate Boston`s politicians?
 
Scrivener said:
Yes, shooting an old, full-size revolver when you have arthritis is pure joy.

Or if you have small hands, such as women, Hispanics and Asians often do.

Shooting a revolver at ALL when you want to carry an auto makes sense too.
Click to expand...
That pretty well characterizes a student that I had. She was a petite woman in her 60s. Her hands were small, she had little hand strength, and she was used to shooting semi-autos. She was also undergoing treatment for late stage cancer, and her visit to the Moon Island range was scheduled for February.

She gave up on it instead, which is clearly the desired result of BPD's policy.
 
M1911 said:
That pretty well characterizes a student that I had. She was a petite woman in her 60s. Her hands were small, she had little hand strength, and she was used to shooting semi-autos. She was also undergoing treatment for late stage cancer, and her visit to the Moon Island range was scheduled for February.

She gave up on it instead, which is clearly the desired result of BPD's policy.
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Pure harassment and bullshit. At least you should be able to use your own firearm or they should have a Dept. issue Glock to shoot.
 
rwl1955 said:
Pure harassment and bullshit. At least you should be able to use your own firearm or they should have a Dept. issue Glock to shoot.
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A Glock wouldn't have helped her -- way too big a grip circumference for her hands. And given her health, there was no way she could handle standing out on an outdoor range at Moon Island during February.
 
Scrivener said:
But, armed with a hatpin or a handful of keys, she's supposed to cripple an attacker.......
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Exactly.

She didn't have much time left and wanted to focus on her family, rather than fight this crap. I certainly understand and respect the choice she made. BPD's range test really ticks me off.
 
I've been hoping for a long time that someone like this would sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act . . . it would be a very interesting case, if one could find a fair-minded judge (good luck with that in MA).

My Wife has hand problems too. For that reason I had Greg Derr do a trigger job on her .38 revolver (and mine). MASSIVE difference in my Wife's ability to shoot it. I know that if we were to live in Brookline or Boston, that she could never pass their test.
 
LenS said:
I've been hoping for a long time that someone like this would sue under the Americans with Disabilities Act . . . it would be a very interesting case, if one could find a fair-minded judge (good luck with that in MA).
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I offered to put her in touch with appropriate attorneys, but she chose against it. Even if she had fought it, there is a good chance she would have passed before the case was decided.
 
I know that if we were to live in Brookline or Boston, that she could never pass their test.
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Brookline requires signoff by a certified instructor, not a departmental issued range test. I suspect she would be able to pass, as she is allowed to use any handgun she wishes.
 
Rob Boudrie said:
Brookline requires signoff by a certified instructor, not a departmental issued range test. I suspect she would be able to pass, as she is allowed to use any handgun she wishes.
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Note that this represents a CHANGE in its policy, which initially required THE Moon Island test. That this change came after a lawsuit is, of course, wholly coincidental.
 

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