MA Resident Joining RI Club

[zbomb]

I live in Douglas MA and am looking for a club. Wallum lake rod and gun looks awesome and is 8 mins away.

Question: if I have a MA LTC can I legally bring firearms into RI for the purpose of target/sport shooting.

Much thanks.

 

[newportri]

§ 11-47-10 License or permit not required to carry to target range. – No license or permit shall be required for the purpose of carrying or transporting any pistol or revolver from one's home or place of business to a bona fide target practice range, nor from a bona fide target practice range to one's home or place of business, to engage in any shoot meet, or practice, provided that the pistol or revolver is broken down, unloaded and carried as openly as circumstances will permit, or provided that the pistols or revolvers are unloaded and secured in a separate container suitable for the purpose.

The short answer is that you don't need a permit to go to the range in RI. However, the statute states that it has to be a bona fide range, but there is no definition of a bona fide range. Several police departments where there are local clubs were contacted a few months ago when the legislatures tried to change RIGL 11-47-33 to find out a "recognized camp or rifle range" was, but nobody had heard of that... Not even the DEM who runs the only public range in RI (Great Swamp) could answer that question.

§ 11-47-34 Firearms permits to minors. – The Rhode Island state police or the chief of police of the city or town in which the person resides shall issue permits to any person under eighteen (18) years of age only upon satisfactory proof of being engaged in a course of training in the use of firearms at a regular and recognized camp or rifle range, and provided that the person has the written consent of a parent or guardian. Valid membership cards of junior gun clubs or of junior divisions of senior gun clubs incorporated in the state of Rhode Island shall be prima facie evidence of the person under eighteen (18) years of age being engaged in a course of training in the use of firearms at a regular and recognized camp or rifle range.

 

[zbomb]

OK, so as with most gun laws in this portion of the country it can't be simple.

I may give the PD there a call and ask their thoughts.

Appreicate your posting of the statute.

 

[n1bsbri]

OK, so as with most gun laws in this portion of the country it can't be simple.

I may give the PD there a call and ask their thoughts.

Appreicate your posting of the statute.

Nothing good can come of calling the PD. I fairly sure they know less about the RI firearms act than newportri does.

I think the language is fairly simple, you can transport to a "bona fide"' range. In common meaning, any established shooting range falls into this category. If you are going to someone's back yard, or a sand lot, that's probably not an established range. Any gun club or public range is.

 

[Scarecrow]

Actually, the statute is very clear on this point. Unload the gun, lock it in a hard case, and drive to the range. This isn't Mass, having a piece of brass in your car won't get you arrested. So long as it is locked up, the LEO's are content to play nice for now

 

[n1bsbri]

Actually, the statute is very clear on this point. Unload the gun, lock it in a hard case, and drive to the range. This isn't Mass, having a piece of brass in your car won't get you arrested. So long as it is locked up, the LEO's are content to play nice for now

does not need to be a locked container.

provided that the pistol or revolver is broken down, unloaded and carried as openly as circumstances will permit, or provided that the pistols or revolvers are unloaded and secured in a separate container suitable for the purpose.

 

[zbomb]

I spoke with someone at the RI AG's office, they were friendly, they basically repeated § 11-47-10 and said I'm good to go.

 

[newportri]

I spoke with someone at the RI AG's office, they were friendly, they basically repeated § 11-47-10 and said I'm good to go.

I agree that you shouldn't have any problem as long as you go to a range although there is no definition of what a bona fide range is. I just wanted to point out that the law wasn't very clear.
The problem is that the AG's office doesn't always know what they are talking about either (I don't know who you talked to) and if you don't have it in writing it won't help you if you should you ever get in trouble going to/from the range.
Here is an example of why I say that. In RI you are exempt from a 7 day waiting period if you have a town issued permit, but not if you have an AG issued permit. One time I bought a gun from a dealer (I won't say which one) and show him my AG permit for an ID. He then asked me if I wanted to take it with me, but I said I didn't think I could do that with an AG permit. He said they had called the AG's office and they had told him the permits were the same and I didn't have to wait 7 days with the AG permit. The statutes are pretty clear that you are only exempt with a town issued permit issued under 11-47-11, and not by the AG (11-47-18).

§ 11-47-35.1 Persons exempt from § 11-47-35. – The provisions of § 11-47-35 shall not apply to full-time members of the state police, full-time members of the state marshal's office, full-time members of city or town police departments, or state marshals or correctional officers or persons licensed under § 11-47-11.

 

[zbomb]

I hear ya on preferrably having something in writing.

I think the best thing for me to do in the unlikely event I'm stopped right after I've crossed the boarder is to keep a copy of the statute easily accessible. Really just not sure on how far I can take it to cover myself short of getting a Non Res which I have no interest in doing.

My actual transit time once in RI is about 3 mins, so I would think I should not have to worry too much about being pulled in that 3 min span, but you really just never know and would like to try to do my best to be legal.

Here is a link to the club's site for anyone interested.

http://www.wallumlakerodgun.com/

 

[n1bsbri]

I think you are GTG with your current plan, even if you were going to a range in southern RI. But if you get stopped and/or arrested, forget I ever told you anything, 'K?

 

[zbomb]

But if you get stopped and/or arrested, forget I ever told you anything, 'K?

Thanks for having my back bro

 

[n1bsbri]

Thanks for having my back bro

I was raised on "Mission Impossible", so I know the drill.