Here's a copy of my response to the author, and his response (LONG):
Rob:
You were way off on this one! Below is copy of your article with my corrections:
Gun licenses relatively easy to obtain in Mass.
April 01, 2007 6:00 AM
How hard is it to get a firearms license in Massachusetts? Police say not terribly, as long as you don't have a criminal record.
(In terms of time, it can take weeks or months. Some Departments require a shooting qualification course, letters of reference, notes from a physician, and other hoops to jump through)
Local police departments issue permits to any applicants who meet the base qualifications, pass a safety course and pay a $100 fee.
(There is, in fact, a long list of disqualifiers that prevent many people from obtaining a license – and rightfully so.)
There are three types of firearms licenses, each of which must be renewed every six years. All of them allow holders to purchase an unlimited number of guns, as long as they are legal firearms and fit within the holders' license restrictions.
(Actually, there are six: Restricted FID, FID, LTC B, LTC A, Non-Resident LTC, and Machine Gun License. Yes – you can possess a machine gun in Mass, but you have to be a law enforcement firearms instructor, or a “Bona Fide Collector” to qualify. And every one of those “unlimited number of guns” has to be reported to the State Criminal History Systems Board. This is the place where Massachusetts keeps track of Murderers, Rapists, Drug Pushers….. and lawful gun owners.)
A Firearms Identification Card allows for the possession of rifles and shotguns, excluding large-capacity models. (A restricted FID card is available for the possession of chemical sprays.)
All state residents have a right to an FID card unless they have been convicted of a felony, or a violent or drug offense that resulted in a sentence of more than two years in prison within the last five years.
(If you are convicted of a misdemeanor punishable by more than 2 years, you are also disqualified. What are some examples? Here is a list from Chief Ron Glidden’s Guidelines for Law Enforcement: Failure to Report a Hotel Fire, Causing Injury in a Physical Exercise Program, Larceny of Under $250 from an Elderly/Disabled Person. Yup, some real criminals in that list….)
The second and third types are Licenses to Carry, or "pistol permits," which allow for the concealed carrying of handguns.
Anyone holding a Class B permit can carry revolvers, rifles, shotguns and other non-high-capacity firearms.
(Nope – the Class B License-to-Carry doesn’t allow you to carry! That is only allowed with a Class A permit, and only if there are no restrictions on the license. The Class B license DOES allow you to have large-capacity rifles (more than 10 rounds) and shotguns (more than 5 shells), but does not allow large-capacity handguns (more than 10 rounds). This part of the law is extremely confusing because of the terminology.)
State law requires that every gun sold within Massachusetts must be fitted with a trigger lock and all guns must be stored either in a locked container or equipped with a lock that renders it inoperable.
(Actually, only large-capacity firearms must be sold with a trigger lock (see definitions above), but the gun shops generally tell you they need to sell one for a “standard-capacity” firearm, as well – more profits. There are also differing storage requirements if you are talking transport vs. your home.)
Unlike FID cards, police can withhold pistol permits at their discretion.
"It would depend on the individual's background and if there was some objection to giving them a license," Freetown Lt. Walter Sawicki said.
That doesn't happen often, Lt. Sawicki said, although he recalled withholding a permit from a man who had been arrested in Fall River for possession of marijuana and hypodermic needles.
(Right – Massachusetts has 351 cities and towns, and the law allows the Licensing Authority (Chief) in each to make his own rules. Imagine what would happen if every town could create its own rules for drivers’ licenses. Imagine the uproar!)
Contact Rob Margetta at
[email protected]
Rob – not trying to be a wise-ass here. But as a law-abiding, responsible gun owner, and certified firearms instructor, I feel the need to point out these errors. Feel free to contact me if you need any other firearms-related info, or just want to compare notes.
Best Wishes –
Ken Kennedy
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here is Rob's response this evening:
Dear Mr. Kennedy:
You raise some valid points. You’re right about gun laws being confusing, considering much of that article came directly from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety’s website, and other parts came from conversations with several police chiefs and firearms officers. I’m going to research this topic a bit more deeply in the coming week or two, but I wanted to let you know that there will be a correction in tomorrow’s paper regarding the statement that a Class B License to Carry holder can carry a concealed weapon. Thanks for reading and for writing in.
Sincerely,
Rob Margetta
Also, I’ll add you to my list of contacts to gun related stories.
-Rob Margetta