MA gun show and concealed carry

[FirearmAddict]

I carry everywhere I can, I plan on going to this weekends gunshow in West Springfield MA and wonder if I will have any problems if I am carrying concealed, I have a class A LTC and haven't been to a gun show for 15+ years. I know it sounds dumb but so do most of the MA gun laws.

Thanks in advance - Charlie

 

[FPrice]

From what I can remember it is posted as no loaded firearms or ammunition inside of the show hall.

 

[drgrant]

Moving this to gun laws....

IIRC there would be no law that would prohibit said act, however, I would guess that any gun show personnel that discovered you were carrying against their signage would probably tell you to get lost.

-Mike

 

[FPrice]

Again, from memory. There are LEO at the front door and they try to ask everyone "Any guns or ammo?".

 

[drumenigma]

There is no law against it like the previous posters said. drgrant has the likely scenario explained. Really the only thing you could get in trouble for is if you do carry there and you are caught and get asked to leave, you should leave ASAP because if you don't then it's trespassing.

 

[FirearmAddict]

Thanks, I certainly do not want to run into any issues. So I just thought of something else that I wouldn't see as an issue, but since you are all more familiar with the shows. Do you think if I brought an empty 5 round AK mag, just to make sure anything I found to buy would fit my rifle, would pose a problem?

Thanks in advance

 

[namedpipes]

Thanks, I certainly do not want to run into any issues. So I just thought of something else that I wouldn't see as an issue, but since you are all more familiar with the shows. Do you think if I brought an empty 5 round AK mag, just to make sure anything I found to buy would fit my rifle, would pose a problem?

Thanks in advance

Seems like the sort of item you'd be likely to BUY at the show, so I would think it would be ok to bring on into the show.

But as you or someone pointed out, this is MASS. And as we all know, you can't have MASS without ....

 

[Mike-Mike]

I have been to several gun shows and carried to all of them in the last year in MA.

All of them had a bucket of sand to point your muzzle during unload, and they hold your rounds. They also put a wire tie through your action.

No problems no attitude.

Have fun

 

[FirearmAddict]

Thanks to all that have replied.

 

[doobie]

There is no law against it like the previous posters said. drgrant has the likely scenario explained. Really the only thing you could get in trouble for is if you do carry there and you are caught and get asked to leave, you should leave ASAP because if you don't then it's trespassing.

You may also get in trouble for lying to a LEO on your entry. I'm sure they have a law against that in MA.

 

[Staind503]

Again, from memory. There are LEO at the front door and they try to ask everyone "Any guns or ammo?".

yup either leave it at home or with the cops at the front door

 

[guywithglasses]

Just leave your ammo with the officer at the door and let them zip-tie your gun. I've never had a problem doing this at the Big E gun shows.

 

[FirearmAddict]

Went to the show, didn't carry, LEO checking at the door no hassle/attitude. As long as you follow the rules there shouldn't be a problem, although that is very counter intuitive in MA - Thanks again

 

[bostonasphalt2]

so what is the reasoning behind not allowing loaded firearms, etc into the gun show? NOt quite sure I understand (never been to a gun show before)

 

[Jamie]

so what is the reasoning...Not quite sure I understand.....

This is Mass, your words are counter-intuitive here. Do NOT, under any circumstances attempt to understand any reasoning behind the practice.

 

[guywithglasses]

so what is the reasoning behind not allowing loaded firearms, etc into the gun show? NOt quite sure I understand (never been to a gun show before)

I remember hearing something about a shotgun ND into the ceiling prompting the no ammo policy at the Big E.

FWIW: Re the good attitude of the officers at the door: West Springfield is a "green" city unlike its neighbor across the river.

 

[45collector]

Any gun show I've been to in MA I carry into. before I get out of the car and head to the door, I unload and keep my mags with me. Then I hand the ammo to the LEO/staff at the door, they tag it for me and zip tie my gun. Then you can walk around with your gun on you-out in the open if you wish.
The first one I ever went to (Marlboro), I went in loaded, cocked and locked.
The staff asked me to point the muzzle at a bucket of sand and clear the chamber. It was awkward to do so without the round falling down the magwell and hitting the floor.

 

[vellnueve]

so what is the reasoning behind not allowing loaded firearms, etc into the gun show? NOt quite sure I understand (never been to a gun show before)

It's like that at many shows, even in free states.

 

[namedpipes]

Curious - is there usually a similar restriction on the vendors?

 

[45collector]

Yes. I don't believe anyone besides LE is allowed to have any firearms loaded at a gunshow. concealed or not.

 

[M1911]

so what is the reasoning behind not allowing loaded firearms, etc into the gun show? NOt quite sure I understand (never been to a gun show before)

There have been many NDs at gun shows. For example: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=10145
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=139066
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=5363243

 

[drumenigma]

You may also get in trouble for lying to a LEO on your entry. I'm sure they have a law against that in MA.

I believe you are correct. I think in another thread somewhere a person posted the law for that. So you'd have a double whammy. But i don't believe it would necessarily be the lie itself but what the object of the lie is. There is no law against lying necessarily. You're not under oath everytime you talk to a police officer. It's kind of the difference between a little white lie and a big fat cahuna lie.