MA ar15 laws for dummies

There's nothing in the 94 Fed ban, or MA ban that would prohibit a vertical front grip mounted on the fore arm. Doesn't matter if the forearm is post-ban or pre-ban.

Think about it... during the 10 years the AWB was in effect, many AR owners mounted VFGs on their firearms. Did they violate the law by doing so?

As far as mounting a stock with a shorter length of pull, a person could purchase a collapsibe stock, adjust it to the preffered length, then permamently fix it in that position. Permamently meaning there would be no way for the stock to collapse with-out some serious effort to restore it to it's original condition.

If anyone really wants to mount all the evil features they want on an AR, there's always this abomination to build on.... http://www.fabten.com [thinking]
 
jack01730 said:
doesn't an ar have a pistol grip? you'd be adding a 2nd one, how does that work (legally speaking?)

jack
Click to expand...


JESUS CHRIST! Sorry for shouting/cursing but a lot of you guys are worse than the ANTI-GUNNERS...Stop reading way too much into the laws...A forgrip (vertical or otherwise) is not a pistol grip[protruding beneith the action]. Just stop it, you guys are being silly. There are plenty of examples of ambiguity in Mass gun laws, but this aint one of those times...As an example I point you at all the post ban Romanian based AK's century pumped out during the ban with forward grips...

SO to the original poster, if you have a "post ban" AR you can put what ever foregrip you want on it, but you can't have a collapsable stock on it. If you have a pre ban AR you can put whatever the "F" you want on it...
 
LoginName said:
Think about it... during the 10 years the AWB was in effect, many AR owners mounted VFGs on their firearms. Did they violate the law by doing so?
Click to expand...
I don't know, Did they?


Securityboy,
You seem very confident in your statement. I am looking for facts. Can you point to them? Citations? I am not about to break the law cause someone says "it's legal". I am looking for proof. This is the whole reason I brought this topic back from the dead.
 
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You will almost certainly never find what you are looking, as far as citation of law goes (because laws don't typiclly tell you what is legally they tell what is not legal).

So, that said until you find some Massachussetts ruling (or old ATF tech branch ruling from the fed ban time period, which one could extrapolate the same) stating that a forward grip IS a pistol grip, we can all safely assume that that is not the case.

And one other thing for you guys who read way too much into stuff, I am surprised none of you have thought of avoiding the whole issue by of holding the gun sideways, so now the pistol grip is next to the action NOT benieth the action....(To clarify ahead of time, that is a joke to point out that you guys are reading much to much into it)

Still if you want more "proof", call Kahr Arms who bought Auto Ordnance and ask why it was legal for them to make the semi-thompsons with the foregrip during the entire federal ban.
 
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securityboy said:
we can all safely assume that that is not the case.
Click to expand...

You can NEVER SAFELY ASSUME with Massachusetts gun laws.

securityboy said:
Still if you want more "proof", call Kahr Arms who bought Auto Ordnance and ask why it was legal for them to make the semi-thompsons with the foregrip during the entire federal ban..
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Good point.
 
When viewed all at once, it is kind of humorous to look at all the restrictions placed on the weapons.

If the goal is just to make it awkward for people to carry these weapons into public places, they should just have one law, your gun must weight 25 lbs, and put whatever the hell you want on it. That would be a big boost to the aftermarket "tactical" accessories industry too.
 
Moderator said:
I don't know, Did they?
Click to expand...

It's a rhetorical question. [wink]

10 years of legal precedent seems like a pretty sound case to me.

During that time period, there was no legal standing or ruling by the courts or BATFE interpretation of the law that would define a VFG as a secondary "evil feature".

Here's the rub... Congress worded and enacted the 94 AWB. After that, it was left up to a regulatory agency (the BATFE), to interpret the law, and based on that, enforce the law. During those miserable 10 years [frown], there was no problem or confusion about mounting a VFG on an "assault rifle". Companies, manufacturers, dealers, etc regularly sold such items without any interference or warning from the BATFE.

I know "you can NEVER SAFELY ASSUME with Massachusetts gun laws", but in reality there's a point that even the AG or State Police won't pursue.

MA utilizes "incorporation by reference" WRT to our AWB... they took the shortcut and said 'refer to the definition of the federal ban'.

The 'voice of authority' in that situation can't have their cake and eat it too.
They want to use the federal law as a reference? They have to accept the authoritative definitions as well.
 
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New colt Magazines for AR-15

I live in MA. If I own a preban Colt AR, can I legally possess a 30 round colt Mag? If it was a new Mag, could you tell? and How?
 
lloydbraun said:
I live in MA. If I own a preban Colt AR, can I legally possess a 30 round colt Mag? If it was a new Mag, could you tell? and How?
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Whether you own a pre-ban AR or not doesn't matter. If you have an LTC, you can own a pre-ban 30 round AR mag, but not a post-ban 30 rounder. The short answer for could you tell if a mag was pre-ban or not is- maybe, maybe not. The long answer is, use the search function and start reading.
 
HELP!!!!So I just started building my first AR15. I ordered my upper receiver & barrel from palmetto. It has a bird cage & threaded barrel. I also just got my parts kit with the basic adjustable stock & grip. So is it illegal for me to have this?? I'm really confused on the law of ARs in Massachusetts. I got my lower & they said I have to register the finished rifle within 5-days of completion, but if I build it with the parts I listed is it illegal for me to own for my own use???
 
mr1911 said:
HELP!!!!So I just started building my first AR15. I ordered my upper receiver & barrel from palmetto. It has a bird cage & threaded barrel. I also just got my parts kit with the basic adjustable stock & grip. So is it illegal for me to have this?? I'm really confused on the law of ARs in Massachusetts. I got my lower & they said I have to register the finished rifle within 5-days of completion, but if I build it with the parts I listed is it illegal for me to own for my own use???
Click to expand...

There is plenty on this site about this. If you are in Massachusetts you can assemble the rifle with the parts you have but you will need to have the birdcage removed and a muzzle brake welded/pinned and the evil bayonet lug ground off if you have the A2 style front site base. As soon as the rifle is in a fireable condition (you pull the trigger and it can go bang) you are supposed to register it. Look around here some more, LenS has written quite a bit on this subject.
 
mr1911 said:
HELP!!!!So I just started building my first AR15. I ordered my upper receiver & barrel from palmetto. It has a bird cage & threaded barrel. I also just got my parts kit with the basic adjustable stock & grip. So is it illegal for me to have this?? I'm really confused on the law of ARs in Massachusetts. I got my lower & they said I have to register the finished rifle within 5-days of completion, but if I build it with the parts I listed is it illegal for me to own for my own use???
Click to expand...

It is not illegal for you to possess those parts. It is illegal for you to assemble a completed rifle using just those parts.

Here is the definition of an Assault Weapon as it applies to rifles:

a semiautomatic rifle that has an ability to accept a detachable magazine and has at least 2 of--
(i) a folding or telescoping stock;
(ii) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon ;
(iii) a bayonet mount;
(iv) a flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor; and
(v) a grenade launcher;
Click to expand...

In order to make a legal rifle, you will need to obtain a muzzle device that is not a flash hider (e.g. a compensator or muzzle brake) pin it to your barrel so it cannot be removed. You will also need to pin the adjustable stock in place so it cannot telescope in and out. If there is a bayonet lug it needs to be removed as well. There are lots of shops and gunsmiths who will perform this work for you, or you can do it yourself if you have the tools and expertise.

Once you have completed the rifle, you must register it within 7 days at the MA Gun Transaction Portal
 

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