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There as been no definitive ruling on this.
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MA Assault Weapons Ban "AWB" FAQ
- Thread starter drgrant
- Start date
To MAS17adw: Do you know what the definition of insanity is?
Be aware that most MA LEOs are ignorant of Mass gun laws and thus will arrest first and let the courts sort it out. The courts are not your friend and there is NO WAY to get an unjust arrest removed from your record (BOP) in MA.
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True, but the corollary to this is that if you are not someone they want to get, and the interaction is more routine (like a cop sees a gun case in your trunk you have open while changing a tire), chances of it going beyond "papers in order have a nice day; papers not in order arrest" are slim.
Varmint
NES Member
I think as long as you don’t actually have a bayonet on your assault rifle when you get jammed up, you’re probably ok.
Let me tell you how much I LOVE NH!!
A tree took out power lines near my house. I'm talking with the officer who was blocking the road due to potential live wires. I asked where the police range was located and mentioned that I frequently hear gunshots at night. His comment was "people frequently shoot on their property", no interest in trying to chase down gunshots. Continued discussion about what they carry (Sig P320 9mm) and it becomes "show and tell" out on the street. Further, I offered the use of my bathroom while he was out there (I also offered the firefighter and Eversource guys). The officer walks into my house by an unlocked gun case (yes a gun was in it) and again no interest. I also had and have no anxiety over any of this. Do NOT try this in MA!!!
Ya, it's wonderful. I finally work in an office where I can discuss my latest auction buy, even bring it in for some show and tell, without worrying if I'll have a job the next day. BTW I just picked up a nice VZ 52/57
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
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The police are the last people I would have to worry about if my wife caught me letting someone other than a close family friend in to use our porcelain shrine, although taking out a bottle of water is OK.
We have 3 bathrooms in our NH house and we've let contractors working here use 2 of them. No big deal, even thru COVID. As for the officers, it is a brotherhood thing and I've been treated with a lot more respect by my PD up here than the officers at the PD that I served in MA!
EMTDAD
NES Member
saw in another thread the Strike Industries "Stock Stop" (AR Stock Stop). Are there any potential pitfalls to using this rather than pinning the stock? Earlier post talked about "needing tools to modify" to make the stock adjustable or telescoping. This gizmo appears to need tools to remove.
Also, can someone explain to me the pinned and welded "non-flash-hider" muzzle device? Seems like the law says no flash hider or threaded barrel capable of mounting a flash hider.. Does the pin/weld render the barrel no-longer "threaded and capable" WRT MA law? Lots of other online info pertains to converting 14.5" barrels to 16" to meet NFA requirements.
it does seem easier to buy the complete upper/threaded barrel and pin a comp/mb than it is to find one without threads.
Also, can someone explain to me the pinned and welded "non-flash-hider" muzzle device? Seems like the law says no flash hider or threaded barrel capable of mounting a flash hider.. Does the pin/weld render the barrel no-longer "threaded and capable" WRT MA law? Lots of other online info pertains to converting 14.5" barrels to 16" to meet NFA requirements.
it does seem easier to buy the complete upper/threaded barrel and pin a comp/mb than it is to find one without threads.
To my knowledge, MA doesn’t define acceptable ways of rendering the threads useless. Since MA adopted and references the federal AWB, the commonly-accepted (guessing and attempting to follow the spirit of the law) is following what the ATF approved at the time (pin/weld, 1100* silver solder, or weld) and what is now used federally to meet 16” barrel length requirements. This is how most rifles were are still are “massified” for sale.
I don't recall specifically what the MA law says about stocks - so I can't say whether that Stock Stop product would fit the letter of the law. But....... from what I recall about the wording and the INTENT behind the law - I believe it would fit the intent. Also practically speaking - I think you're unlikely to get jammed up by using that device instead of putting a pin into the stock - because it meets the intent of the law - which is that you can't have a fold-able or collapsible stock on a rifle - that makes it more concealable.
I'm also willing to bet that 9 out of 10 LEO's don't know the law - so as long as you can demonstrate that the stock is non-adjustable - and can't be made adjustable easily You would be ok. If you were worried about having a pin or screw on the stock for compliance - I would put a screw or pin into this device to hold it into the buffer tube - then it wouldn't be "tool-less", but would be easily changeable if you had to, without buggering up the tube too badly. I like this solution - I've got an AR build I need to finish and I've got a Magpul adjustable stock - I've been trying to figure out how to make fixed - without mangling it somehow. This device is the solution for that. So thanks for posting it!!
Good video showing the install:
Re: MA law and "flash hiders". The MA AWB specifically bans flash hiders. So you can either have a "bare"barrel - or you can have a muzzle brake (or compensator). There are some devices out there that have been classified as muzzle brakes - but are very flash hidery. So I believe they're MA legal. I've got some of the Primary Weapons Systems "muzzle brake" products that still have some flash hider properties:
The law also says no threaded barrels - what it means by this is : you can't have a threaded barrel that is not "covered" with a something that cannot be removed. What they're trying to do is prevent you from just threading on a flash hider - or a silencer. So possessing a "threaded barrel" is technically legal - as long as it's got a device on it that's pinned and/or welded ( I don't recall if it has to be pinned AND welded)
And yes - it's definitely FAR easier to find threaded barrel and just put a cover, muzzle brake, or comp on it - than buy an unthreaded barrel.
I also have to say - there seems to be a LOT of people in this state that simply don't give a shit about the law. And I don't hear all that much about Johnny Law going after them. From people using Magpul polymer 30 round mags, to shops selling stuff that isn't on the AG's pistol list , to AR's with "evil features" on them - I think a lot of people just flout the law and/or are just ignorant of what it is. The fact that Maura Healey did what she did a few years back - just made it WORSE in my opinion , because she made it crystal clear that the law is something they just change on a whim based on the interpretation of the day.
Even before Maura came along with her stupidity - I heard and experienced story after story of MA related gun stuff - that was just retarded. From the guy who sold me 15 round brand new Glock mags (I had ordered 10 rounders) because some MA State Trooper allegedly told him they were legal, to the guy who sold me a sweet FS2000 because he got hassled at his local gun range by a cop who kept insisting that it was a machine gun - and detained him until it could be proven otherwise............. MA gun retardation has a long history in my experience.
Build what you want - try to stay legal - don't flout it - and you'll be fine. When the civil war starts sometime within the next ten years - nobody is going to give a shit if your stock isn't pinned.
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The problem is folding stocks not adjustable stocks. The stock stop makes an adjustable stock a fixed stock, not really nesisary in MA. Folding stocks on AR15s are pretty obvious and typically don't allow firing in folded mode so it easy to avoid these.
Pretty sure you're wrong on that. I don't recollect the text of the law from memory - and I don't feel like going to look it up either........... so if somebody wants to go find the text of the law and post it here and tell me I'm an idiot then feel free ............
But I am about 99% sure that the text of the law bans folding AND "adjustable" stocks. Part of my certainty on this comes from the way it has been interpreted by pretty much everybody - so it's always possible the whole damn world interpreted it incorrectly...... but my recollection on this goes all the way back to the time when the Federal AWB was in effect - which is what the MA AWB is based on - almost verbatim.
And aside from the AR-15 ....... MOST other firearms with folding stocks CAN be fired with the stock folded. Plus with the multitude of different upper types now available out there for ARs - there's actually a few options available that DO allow firing with a folded stock (they don't use the recoil buffer).
The intent of the ban on folding stocks and adjustable stocks - wasn't based on firing vs non-firing - the logic they were going with was that the rifle became more concealable with a folded or adjustable stock. The whole thing is stupid - but I think they were thinking that you're not going to be able to conceal a full-length rifle under your trenchcoat or some such shit like that....... but you could easily a conceal a rifle with a folded or shortened stock.
I believe it says collapsible and folding, and I suppose telescoping could be collapsable and not adjustable. If it was just adjustable all those fancy adjustable stock target rifles would be illegal, and they aren't. Lots of grey area, sort of like what is a muzzle break and what is a flash suppressor.
I was specific about the AR-15 because I'm well aware of the other variants, I have a couple BRN-180s with true folding stocks, these are AR platform guns but are not AR-15s
Shevchenko
NES Member
I get all warm and Schadenfreude...ey when I see this thread get a bump
Again - I don't remember the text of the law, but my understand of the "intent" was that stock cannot be collapsible or foldable "easily". That rules out all those "sniper" rifle stocks with adjustable cheekrests and length of pull. I think the best way to think of this is " can the stock be changed QUICKLY to make the rifle more conceable" , because that was their underlying logic (if you want to call it that). The other thing to factor in with all of those "sniper" type stocks - is that in a lot of cases - they're mounted to bolt guns - which are not considered "assault" weapons. Also - the adjustability of them is measured in what - maybe 2 inches at most? Everybody gets fixated on ARs - and there's plenty of other firearms out there - that are considered to be "assault" weapons (UZI, FAL, AK.... etc) - that have foldable are collapsible stocks that change substantially in size. Even the AR carbine type "adjustable" stocks - can be changed by like 4 or 5 inches in length in some cases.
Oh I agree on the intent of the law, but we're just going to have to disagree on the adjustable stocks as I believe those are GtG even in MA. Now what is "adjustable" and what is "collapsible", well that grey area is normal for MA law so it will change depending on who is talking.
DarthRevan
NES Member
I'm not a lawyer, but I had a sweet omelet this morning...
My throwing of shit at this wall would be, something like:
Magpul PRS stock would be "adjustable" since it doesn't look like it moves on the buffer tube once installed like the A2 stocks, but you can change slightly the length of pull minimally.
whereas:
The MOE stock shifts location on the tube and noticeably moves on the buffer tube, effectively "collapsing"
But opinions are like a**h***s and I moved to NH to not have to think about this shit anymore.
I'm not a lawyer either , but my understanding - as I already said earlier: matches right up with the examples you posted. One stock is definitely "adjustable" - but not collapsible. The other one is also adjustible - but also fits the definition of " collapsible"
Your point about lawyers is a good one. Because gun shops and gun manufacturers DO all have lawyers - and I have never seen a single manufacturer or gun shop - sell a post-ban rifle without a pinned stock (if they had the typical AR style carbine stock on the rifle)
Here's the exact words out of the Fed and MGL:
I'm sure that an enterprising ADA can make a case that even an adjustable stock meets that definition . . . unless one has a gun-law-smart attorney to refute the allegation with enough info to convince a rabid anti-gun judge/jury otherwise.
That looks like you remove the telescoping stock by the usual method of pulling the lever in the opposite direction than normal, put the filler plate in, and then put the stock back on, such that the stock retains the filler plate and only has the one position to lock into. I wouldn't trust it it comply with a strict interpretation because it can be removed using the regular adjustment lever on the stock and not a separate tool/screw driver/bit/punch to take a threaded fastener/pin/whathaveyou out. The stock isn't in my interpretation rendered non-adjustable because the spacer can be removed by normal operation of the stock controls.
Magpul makes a fixed MOE stock that works on all AR buffer tubes (order commercial or mil spec version depending on what you have) and will work on M&P15-22's if a shallow keyway is drilled in the buffer tube rib since on 15-22s the rib runs to the receiver while on AR15s the rib stops a little before the castle nut.
Otherwise you are drilling and tapping in a roll pin on a stock of your own.
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That word "telescoping" - is what I could not remember.
And it's why all those "collapsible" or "adjustable" stocks you typically find on AR / M4 carbines are - are illegal.
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BCMGunfighter Comp Mod 0? Is it ok for a post ban AR build and does it pass the so called pinky test? I saw some other forums for California saying avoid it since it mentions flash reduction on the company site but several people here say it's good 2 go??
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CatSnoutSoup
NES Member
One of my rifles has a Mod 1 which is the same thing only longer, and the porting on both is clearly physically designed to counteract recoil (compensate).
Since owning it no one has broken down my door, shot my dog (raped my cat) and hauled me off to jail.
Black SUVs do not follow me when I leave the house and no helicopters are hovering just out of earshot when I am at the range.
And honestly even if it was an A2, which it's not, none of that would be happening anyway.
Varmint
NES Member
It’s perfectly fine just loud as hell.
Regarding homemade firearms. Say you have the skill and equipment to make your own firearm. Is there a thread somewhere on this forum that someone could point to? I don't want to rehash a topic that might already have the answers to my questions. I did a search and didn't find much. Thanks.
Mesatchornug
NES Member
search harder. There are many.
