Guns That Are Not Assault Weapons
Q: Are there examples or categories of weapons that are not assault weapons?
Yes. Many rifles, shotguns, and pistols are not assault weapons, and therefore are not “copies or duplicates” of enumerated assault weapons. For example, the following are not assault weapons under G.L. c. 140, § 121:
Any handgun on the current version of the state’s Approved Firearms Roster, available here links to PDF file. Handguns are still subject to MA 940 CMR 16.00 et seq Consumer Protection Regulation;
Any .22 caliber rimfire rifle;
Any Ruger Mini 14 or substantially-similar model weapon;
Any Springfield Armory M1A or substantially similar model weapon;
Any of the hundreds of rifles and shotguns listed on this list links to PDF file —Appendix A to 18 U.S.C. § 922, as appearing on September 13, 1994;
Any weapon that is operated by manual bolt, pump, lever, or slide action;
Any weapon that is an antique, relic, or theatrical prop;
Any semiautomatic rifle that cannot accept a detachable magazine that holds more than five rounds of ammunition;
Any semiautomatic shotgun that cannot hold more than five rounds of ammunition in a fixed or detachable magazine.
This list is not exhaustive; it is meant for illustrative purposes only. Many other weapons are not assault weapons or “copies or duplicates” of assault weapons.
Q: Are any .22 caliber rimfire rifles affected by the Enforcement Notice?
No. However, a weapon that is manufactured as an Assault Weapon cannot be made legal by alterations that allow it to discharge .22-caliber ammunition.
Q: Does this Enforcement Notice change which semi-automatic pistols may be sold in Massachusetts?
No. The Enforcement Notice makes no change to the list of handguns, including semi-automatic pistols, on the current version of the state’s Approved Firearms Roster. The most recent list (August 2016) is available here links to PDF file links to PDF file. The Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban does prohibit the sale of five semi-automatic pistols, the INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9 and TEC-22; and the Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil. Only these weapons and copies or duplicates of these specific pistols are prohibited under the ban, and none appear on the approved list. Handguns are still subject to MA 940 CMR 16.00 et seq Consumer Protection Regulation.
For more information, please visit the Assault Weapon Ban Enforcement page.