How can I find a list of firearms registered to me in MA?

Joined
Jan 31, 2007
Messages
3,555
Likes
438
Feedback: 78 / 3 / 0
The other day someone told me that you can use the same website as the eFA-10 to generate a list of all firearms registered to me in Massachusetts, but I poked around on the website and couldn't figure it out. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks
-TD
 
Last edited:
why not not just send them a list of what you have and wait for SWAT to show up? Then you will know if their records are accurate.
 
The other day someone told me that you can use the same website as the eFA-10 to generate a list of all firearms registered to me in Massachusetts, but I poked around on the website and couldn't figure it out. Can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks
-TD

It's not just "currently registered to you" its anything that has been "transferred to you" in MA. Even if you sold guns they will still be on there. There's probably a PDF form on CJIS's website. I think you have to get it notarized and send them $25. If you've kept all your FA-10s from purchases(or registrations), the whole exercise is essentially a waste of money.

-Mike
 
I had a buddy who works police dispatch pull me the list. Every gun I've ever owned showed up on it. Half of which I no longer have. Real accurate system they've got going...

Awesome. Ill have to remember that the next time one of those "what do you regret selling most" threads shows up. Itll remind me what i had.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
My girlfriend said, "What would you do if you had ten million dollars?"

I said, "I'd wonder where the rest of my money went."


I'd also wonder why the commonwealth sent me a partial list of my guns.
 
Chapter 140 sec 128A exempts the lawful resident from notifying the state when they dispose of a gun through an FFL. This certainly throws a wrench into "their lists".

Jon, FRB disagrees with you! Talk with Atty Jason Guida and he'll fill you in. I had a long conversation with him about this some time ago.


Isn't this like the third thread on this this week? What are people trying to do around here?

Yup, just goes to show you that even old-timers here don't bother to search or even read the correct forum for MA gun law issues!

- - - Updated - - -

My girlfriend said, "What would you do if you had ten million dollars?"

I said, "I'd wonder where the rest of my money went."

Simple answer . . . your Wife kept the rest of the money! [laugh]
 
1. $20.00 fee/bank check or money order (payable to: the Commonwealth of Massachusetts)

we do NOT accept personal checks

2. Notarized signature – you must have your signature notarized by a notary public

3. Self-addressed, stamped envelope – will be used to return your search results

They want $20 and this fee doesn't even include an envelope and postage to mail it back to you ????

And check this out:

Search the FRB database for
(indicate all applicable):
Firearms License History

list of all firearms licenses issued in your name
Firearms Ownership History – list of all firearms transactions where you were the transferor or transferee
Copy of a specific Firearms Registration/Sale/Rental/Lease Transaction (FA10) form – provide at least one of the following:
Ticket Number(s): ____________________________ _________________________ ________________________
Date(s) of Sale: ____________________________ _________________________ ________________________
Make/Model(s): ____________________________ _________________________ ________________________

Registration ????
Mass claims they don't have gun registration, only records of transfer.

It looks to me like they just admitted that it is indeed registration!
 
what happens when the cops shoe up with a 3 page list and you only have a couple of guns on the list? Are they shooting your dog and pulling up the floorboards ?
Is it my responsibility to maintain a record of my transactions? I know it is a good idea. I do keep my fa10's , but what if you lost them or threw them away? Is there a law that says i have to produce paperwork to make sense of the nonsense list they police have?
 
This begs another question: Can the state track a gun by serial number to find out who the (current/last) owner is? Would the trace come back with all of the Massachusetts owners?
 
Chapter 140 sec 128A exempts the lawful resident from notifying the state when they dispose of a gun through an FFL. This certainly throws a wrench into "their lists".

I really wish the state would just clarify this, because it seems pretty clear in the language of the statute that transfers to an FFL are exempt from the FA10 requirement, and most dealers are under this impression as well I suspect.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
 
Chapter 140 sec 128A exempts the lawful resident from notifying the state when they dispose of a gun through an FFL. This certainly throws a wrench into "their lists".

Jon, FRB disagrees with you! Talk with Atty Jason Guida and he'll fill you in. I had a long conversation with him about this some time ago.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a statement of what should be done but rather my observations of what seems to be done.

As I understand the process from a consumer's POV (a MULTI-transaction consumer!), the cycle is this:

1. I buy a gun from a MA FFL - they transfer the gun to me on an FA-10 and log this "out" of their log book. The state now has a record of this gun belonging to me.

2A. I decide to sell this gun to another individual - we execute an FA-10 (or used to be able to) and we distribute the three copies as everyone understands. Both the state and I now have documentation of my receiving and transferring the gun and of the buyer receiving the gun.

2B. I decide to sell/trade the gun back to an FFL - they take it from me and enter it into their log book. I generally get nothing to show this transfer unless I ask for a receipt documenting this. However the state appears to be left out of this transaction (or am I mistaken?).

3A. The FFL sells the gun to another Mass resident - it is reported out on an FA-10 and logged out of the FFL's log book. The state still has documentation of my receiving the gun and now the same for the new buyer BUT how would they know it is my gun since the seller would show as the FFL?

3B. The FFL decides to sell the gun out of state - it is logged out of the FFL's log book and the FFL retains copies of the appropriate documents. But is anything reported to the state? They cannot do an FA-10 (can they) because the purchaser is not a Mass resident.

It seems to be a very cumbersome process to track firearms with as there are several paths where the gun could "disappear" as far as the state is concerned. Again, there may be some actions that the FFL takes of which I am unaware.
 
You are correct.

The "log book" is really the FFL's Bound Book and belongs legally to the US Gov't. I've been told that legally the only entity entitled to look at it is the BATFE, NOT your local/state LEOs.

3A - The S/N would show a newer owner, but a quick run of "what do you own" would show you owning the gun even if an FA-10 was done.

3B - You are the "end of the chain" as far as MA is concerned.

To say that it is an imperfect system would be a gross mis-statement. That's why I don't understand all the hand-wringing here on NES by those that want to make sure that the state records are "accurate"! Not our problem and the system isn't designed for accuracy or the law would have been crystal clear that the FFL taking a gun in MUST do an FA-10. Guida insisted that this is true per MGL but the wording is poor to try to push this in court.


DISCLAIMER: This is not a statement of what should be done but rather my observations of what seems to be done.

As I understand the process from a consumer's POV (a MULTI-transaction consumer!), the cycle is this:

1. I buy a gun from a MA FFL - they transfer the gun to me on an FA-10 and log this "out" of their log book. The state now has a record of this gun belonging to me.

2A. I decide to sell this gun to another individual - we execute an FA-10 (or used to be able to) and we distribute the three copies as everyone understands. Both the state and I now have documentation of my receiving and transferring the gun and of the buyer receiving the gun.

2B. I decide to sell/trade the gun back to an FFL - they take it from me and enter it into their log book. I generally get nothing to show this transfer unless I ask for a receipt documenting this. However the state appears to be left out of this transaction (or am I mistaken?).

3A. The FFL sells the gun to another Mass resident - it is reported out on an FA-10 and logged out of the FFL's log book. The state still has documentation of my receiving the gun and now the same for the new buyer BUT how would they know it is my gun since the seller would show as the FFL?

3B. The FFL decides to sell the gun out of state - it is logged out of the FFL's log book and the FFL retains copies of the appropriate documents. But is anything reported to the state? They cannot do an FA-10 (can they) because the purchaser is not a Mass resident.

It seems to be a very cumbersome process to track firearms with as there are several paths where the gun could "disappear" as far as the state is concerned. Again, there may be some actions that the FFL takes of which I am unaware.
 
Does anyone know if the FRB data includes dates of transactions? I'm trying to establish that a non-roster firearm was owned in state before the magic date. I saw the list the police get, it did not include dates, just serial numbers.
thanks
 
Does anyone know if the FRB data includes dates of transactions? I'm trying to establish that a non-roster firearm was owned in state before the magic date. I saw the list the police get, it did not include dates, just serial numbers.
thanks

If the firearm is yours, you can try emailing the FRB with your LTC #, Drivers license #, and the serial of the gun. They can pull up the FA-10 pdfs and send them to you
 
I just look in my safe and kept count. It's all in my head.

You obviously don't have enough. I now use Boudrie's stock answer whenever someone asks me "How many guns do you have?" "I don't know, how many socks do you have?"


I use MyGunDatabase. Great program that I found through this site.
 
If you sell through an FFL to somone out of state, I'd file an FA-10 just as a precaution. If you sell through an FFL to someone in state, then the FFL will cause an FA-10 to be filed for the transfer showing the buyer. I have read the statute and the language is actually quite clear that no FA-10 is required when you sell through an FFL, but nonetheless I like the idea of having a sale FA-10 on file for out of state transfers.
 
If you sell through an FFL to somone out of state, I'd file an FA-10 just as a precaution. If you sell through an FFL to someone in state, then the FFL will cause an FA-10 to be filed for the transfer showing the buyer.

Why would you do something that is not legally required? Not to mention draws attention to parties not under the purview of MA law? (Protip: Selling a gun to (or via) a dealer outside of MA is none of MA government's ****ing business. Period. ) Not to mention if you do it wrong (although the entire idea is wrong, so this is sort of a non-escapable condition) you could be exposing yourself to unwanted attention from your oddball FA-10 filing getting flagged in their system. )

If you're secretly hoping that in the powerball-level-rare event of a trace down the road, that the feds are going to just skip coming to your house because of the garbage in the MA database system, then I have a guy in Nigeria , this really awesome dude who would love to speak with you, you know, about accepting money from a prince. They told me you could keep 20% as long as you help facilitate the transfer. Honest.

Sorry to be harsh but this mindless "MA obeisance to imaginary law" stuff just drives me batshit insane. It's mind numbing to the point of painful.

-Mike
 
Last edited:
If the firearm is yours, you can try emailing the FRB with your LTC #, Drivers license #, and the serial of the gun. They can pull up the FA-10 pdfs and send them to you

Not my firearm. Looking to purchase from a non-LTC (widow) so the sale has to go through an FFL. There is a revolver not on the roster that I would need to prove was in MA before '98. The seller can't find the original docs.

Before going through the hassle of getting the form notarized and a $20 money order, I'd like to know if getting the records will actually show when the firearm was transferred in MA.
 
Back
Top Bottom