Help, military with CCW and orders to MA

smitty

smitty

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Hello, first post here.
I am an active duty US Marine currently in IRAQ, my home station is Beaufort South Carolina. I have a SC concaled carry permit, but have orders pending for Nov to PCS me to Westover Air Reserve Base in MA. From what I have read MA has crazy gun laws compared to conservative SC. It is my understanding that my being issued a MA CCW permit is dependant on the chief law enforcement officer in the town.
WHAT TOWNS DO YOU ALL RECOMEND MOVING TO NEAR THE BASE? WHERE SHOULD I STAY AWAY FROM BECAUSE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS VERY ANTI CCW?
Also from reading the laws, am I allowed to directly send my application to the state firearms board due to my being active duty military and already having a permit from another state? If so I'd rather go to the state firearms board than deal with the chief law enforcement officer wouldn't I? Also am I going to have to get a firearms lawyer just to get a darn class A CCW?
Thanks for any help you can give me.
 
smitty,

I retired from Westover about 2 1/2 years ago and still live live just north of there. I will send you a PM about the area and where to try to live.

Thanks for your service.
 
Smitty -

You can only apply directly to the Firearms Record Bureau as a non-resident, however, "military with an out of state address stationed in MA" may qualify. Call the firearms records bureau at (617)660-4780 and ask them to send you an application.

Some relevant info:

- The license you get directly from the FRB is a "temporary non-resident license to carry firearms". The term "temporary" is in reference to it being a one year license (though as military you may be able to get the two year one). Cost is $100.00.

- Temporary non-resident licenses do NOT allow you to buy ammunition in MA. You may, however, posess ammo bought elsewhere.

- The resident licenses are $100 for 6 years. The ease of getting one varies tremendously based on the twon.

- The two things you need are "LTC-A" and "Restrictions: None" (formerly referred to as the "All lawful purposes" license). There are only a few town where getting an LTC-A is a big issue, however, there are many where only people with pull get ones without "target only" restrictions.

- You need an approved course from a state of Massachusetts certified instructor. Yup, that's right - spend a year in the sandbox chasing insurgents and the state won't consider you "safe" until you've taken a course from someone like myself (computer geek who has never been in the military, never pointed a gun at anyone, never had a gun pointed at them, never been shot at and doesn't even read SOF). It doesn't make sense but that's the way it is.
 
Smitty,

Welcome to the forum! And a big THANK YOU for your Service!!!!

Since you have orders to MA, under Fed Law you would qualify as a "dual resident" (SC and MA). HOWEVER many/most MA chiefs will NOT issue you any permit at all and claim that you are not a MA Resident! This leaves you with a NR LTC that will actually be easy to get (after taking a course) but will PROHIBIT you from buying ammo or any guns at all legally in MA during your time here!

Perhaps one of our ex-Mil, Western MA folks can do you a big favor and call around to some of the towns near Westover and ask their chiefs directly if he would issue military personnel a MA Resident LTC or not. Can't hurt and they won't bite your head off for asking, believe me. [NOTE: It would be perfectly legal for a MA chief to issue a Resident LTC to someone living in their town that is living there on military orders. I just know that many of them won't as it is strictly discretionary on their part and many look for any excuse to deny.]

Good luck.

P.S. CT also has screwy laws, but may be more Mil-friendly if you live there and commute (I don't think it's many miles to the border from Westover).
 
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Spoke to my monitor today, I'm moving to MASS.

Thanks for the reply's so far guys.
Well I saw my monitor this afternoon here on base in Iraq. I wil going to Mass soon, like late Oct timeframe. I'll be working at Westover Air Base and my fiance' (soon to be wife) will be working doing public afairs at the recruiting station in Springfield. We'll be looking for a place to live in a pro gun comunity, that is one that will issue a class A permit with no restrictions (for all lawful purposes). Like I've said before I have a valid permit in SC where I am based out of now.
Any more help, info, or recomendations would be welcome. Thanks Again. Smitty
 
smitty, check here for a list of towns and how RKBA friendly they are. Holyoke, Wilbraham and Granby look like good locations from my quick scan of Google maps and the list. Hope it helps.
 
Smitty, do NOT live in Springfield!! There are many reports of how gun-unfriendly they are out there.

When you do get here, BTW, let us know - I'm sure you'll get plenty of offers to join folks for range time, etc. There's a member's only forum here where we plan shoots, meet & greets, and general get-togethers.

And thank you for your service.
 
We live in Westhampton and we are about 30 minutes from Westover.( We can point to to the back ways of getting around) We do our grocery shopping over there in Chicopee. If you like living in the sticks.. alot of the hill towns are very gun friendly. Our police chief is. Let us know when you get here and I will put together a meet and greet so you can get to know some of us and we can fill you in on the surrounding areas.
Westfield has a great gun club, we have been members there. Thanks for your service.
 
Will be in MA in Sept.
I'll be in the area the last week of Sept., me & my fiance' (soon to be wife). We will be looking for four bedroom homes in pro CCW towns near Westover Air Base and the Recruiting Station where she will work. I want to say thanks for all your help thus far and I'd like to meet some of you if that can be done. I know to check my list of towns for pro gun chief law enforcement officers. And I will contact (visit / call) the police station of any town we are seriously looking at. Being able to carry after I am there long enough to gain residency is important to me. I had never heard of a lawyer that deals in firearms law till reading up on the situation in MA. And I was a little shocked by the sheer amount of laws up in MA. It's about five times more complicated than SC gun law. Thanks again.
 
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Visit MA on 27 Sept. / Looking @ Longmeadow

Hello everyone, I'll be back from Iraq real soon. It looks like we will be up for a visit (before our move) on or around 27 Sept.
Also my soon to be bride is looking at houses in Longmeadow (good scools for the kids). I called back to the states and spoke to the town police chief & things look good.

Smitty
 
Longmeadow is a nice place and not all that far from the base. Glad to hear that you are coming back soon.
 
+1 on what Frosty said.Stay safe.PM when you get closer to being here and if you have the time we'll set up a meet and greet.
 
WE GOT A HOUSE IN LONGMEADOW.

Hey everybody, we just put money down on a four bed room house in Longmeadow. My time here in the "SAND BOX" is getting real short now[smile]. I look forward to meeting a few of you face to face when we head up that way. And THANKS AGAIN for the input / help.
Smitty
 
smitty said:
Hey everybody, we just put money down on a four bed room house in Longmeadow. My time here in the "SAND BOX" is getting real short now[smile]. I look forward to meeting a few of you face to face when we head up that way. And THANKS AGAIN for the input / help.
Smitty
Click to expand...

Congratulations! (As much as one can congratulate having to move to Mass!).
 
smitty said:
Hey everybody, we just put money down on a four bed room house in Longmeadow. My time here in the "SAND BOX" is getting real short now[smile]. I look forward to meeting a few of you face to face when we head up that way. And THANKS AGAIN for the input / help.
Smitty
Click to expand...

Congratulations on the house, Smitty. Be especially careful now that you're looking at short time. That's when bad things tend to sneak up on you.

Ken
 

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