MASS - Pre ban pistols

[canoeman]

I have heard that you can purchase pistols that are banned today if they were made before the ban. True / False? No one seems to know the answer to this question, not the police or the info posted about the law listing in Mass on the web. Police say to call the state, the state doesn't have a clue. If someone could point me to the location of the info regarding this it would be extremely helpful to me and others.

If you should know off the top of your head, what is the date of the ban in Mass?, and anything before that should be legal?

We should try and get the ban removed seeing we legal owners are not the problem for the ban.

 

[patio]

Just because someone else is bound to say it; this has all been covered before and a simple search would have answered your questions.

I leave the quoted section for someone else but add that the MA ban date is 9/13/94.

I have heard that you can purchase pistols that are banned today if they were made before the ban. True / False?.

 

[cdkayak]

A good search tool is Google's Advanced Search. Just put in your search criteria and enter northeastshooters.com in the Domain field.

Since I live in Maine I'm not going to try and explain MA gun laws.

I do think that the '94 date quoted above is related to the manufacture date of standard capacity magazines and the 'evil features' on rifles. The Pistol list originated in '98.

Almost forgot. Welcome to the forum!

CD

 

[Len-2A Training]

Welcome to the forum.

Please use the search capabilities here in the Gun Laws forum. Also set your User CP to show ALL THREADs and you'll see a number of Stickies and other threads relevant to your questions.

Short answer:

Handguns were never "banned". I know what you mean, but that is bad terminology and here's why:

- 1998 law made it illegal for a MA DEALER to sell any handguns that were not on the EOPS List of tested and approved handguns. Exception only for handguns that were "in state" on 10/21/98.

- AG further implemented his own set of rules (AG Regs) that mandated some additional items for it to be legal for a MA DEALER to sell any handgun in MA. He exempted any handgun MADE before the magic cut-off date, regardless of where the gun was situated. HOWEVER, MA DEALERS must meet BOTH sets of criteria to sell even a used gun.

- NOTHING in the above limits a private individual from moving into MA with legally possessed guns and later selling them (limit 4/year) privately to another MA Resident with LTC.

As you can see above, there is NO BAN on handguns, only a "limitation" on what MA DEALERS can sell.

The 1994 date that someone else responded with is ONLY relevant wrt the following:

- MA AWB limits us to 10 rd (max) mags for everything. Only exception is if the MAG was MADE prior to 9/13/1994 . . . if that is the case it can be a standard capacity mag (>10 rds).

- MA AWB also limits us to strictly pre-ban (9/13/1994) so-called assault weapons (rifles, not handguns). This is the same as the expired Fed Ban, but this one never goes away.

 

[dd]

Which leads to the question: How to identify pre-ban vs post-ban hi-cap pistol mags. There is a thread relative to Glock mags, but, what about those hi-caps for other guns: Browning HPs, Para-Ordnance, HK, Sig, etc,???

If you, the MA resident, has a hi-cap gun made prior to >the date< and several hi-cap mags for same, how could someone determine when said hi-cap mags were made????

Next, what about the current production hi-cap gun w/mags that a new resident brings into the state? It seems that the gun is OK, but the mags make him a criminal. What-say-you. NOTE: This could apply to everyone on this list if YOU are buying a hi-cap gun from a new resident and said gun is not on the AFR.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Dave,

The status of the gun (AFR, AG approved, etc.) has nothing to do with the mags.

Mags are a major problem, as it is very difficult (and sometimes impossible) for the owner/buyer to KNOW for certain that it is indeed pre-ban.

Many mfrs have made subtle changes to their mfg processes over the 12 years since the AWB/Mag ban became federal law. Although not obvious to the casual observer, experts likely could determine from metallurgy and plastics analysis when something was made (or which "version" it was) and use that to prosecute some hapless victim.

It may not have happened yet, but I wouldn't want to take bets on it never happening if someone wanted to expend the resources or "make an example" out of someone who is otherwise a law-abiding citizen.

That's why it is extremely important to get the mag ban in MA lifted, but also extremely unlikely given the legislative structure and likely outcome of the upcoming state elections.