Not a "gun" law question, but......switchblade in MA

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I was under the impression that switchblades are completely illegal in MA (LEO's not included), but someone told me that they are legal if you have a Class A LTC. It didn't sound right to me, but I thought I'd check here.

Anyone have some solid info on this?

Thanks.
 
I am pretty sure they are banned for possession/carry, at least on your person. (Under MGL 269-10(b)? I think) If you had one laying around your house, though, and the police found it, I'm not sure what you could be charged under (if anything) in that case.

There is no exemption on any of the knife laws in MGL for LTC holders. The only exception is for things like Worcester's knife length ordinance where LTC holders are exempt from the ordinance, but that stuff really isn't in MGL.

-Mike
 
Mike's right. MGL 269-10(b) prohibits the carrying on one's person (or under one's control in a vehicle) a switchblade with a blade in excess of 1.5"

MGLs provide no exemption for LTC holders.
 
If you have one at home, it's not an issue ( just like a double-edged knife, a nightstick, or a sword). It's the "carrying" that's the problem.


As for "What would you be charged with?" in the Manchester-by-the-Sea case, posession of a double edged-knife was one of the slew of charges (that was dropped) I believe.

The only knife law that I've heard of that interfaces with an LTC is Worcester - an LTC lets you exceed the 2 1/2" balde length ordinance, IIRC

IANAL, and I dont' play one on TV
 
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Misterhappy is spot on.

Perfectly legal to OWN and keep at home.

Illegal to carry.

This is a strange statue. How could you buy one at a store and not carry it on your person (or in a car) while going home? Sounds like it would have to be shipped via UPS etc..
 
Ooo scary knives. Another bs law to protect us from ourselves. It opens fast= eviiiiil. The switch is the knife equivalent of an evil black rifle but even MORE restricted. Go figure.
 
This is a strange statue. How could you buy one at a store and not carry it on your person (or in a car) while going home?
Never attempt to apply logic or "the reasonable person test" to laws, MGL especially. In the case of MGL, they are either: a) written by incompetents. b)written to deliberately confuse. c) written with the especific intent of making ownership of self defense items basically impossible to do legally. d)all of the above. IMHO, it's mostly a) and c).
 
I did some research into this last Christmas when I bought my brother a switchblade. He lives in NY, and according to NY law he could legally carry it as a licensed hunter while in the act of hunting. Technically, it was illegal for me to posess it in MA (I bought it in NH), but it was in a gift-wrapped box the entire time it was in MA. I felt fairly safe with it in my posession.

There was an exemption for people with one arm, but I cannot remember if that was in NY law or MA law. I'm pretty sure it was NY.
 
Here is the MA law. No exemption for LE or Military. New York actually has a lot more exemptions, including LE, Military, Cutlery Museums, etc...

It boggles the mind that somebody can outlaw 'Two pieces of wood joined by a rope'.

Edit - These are some of the longest sentences I have ever seen. I think they were written by William Faulkner.


GENERAL LAWS OF MASSACHUSETTS
PART IV.
CRIMES, PUNISHMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL CASES.

TITLE I. CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS.
CHAPTER 269. CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC PEACE.

Chapter 269: Section 10. Carrying dangerous weapons...

(b) Whoever, except as provided by law, carries on his
person, or carries on his person or under his control
in a vehicle, any stiletto, dagger or a device or case
which enables a knife with a locking blade to be drawn
at a locked position, any ballistic knife, or any knife
with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by any
mechanism, dirk knife, any knife having a double-edged blade,
or a switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring
release device by which the blade is released from the
handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches,
or a slung shot, blowgun, blackjack, metallic knuckles
or knuckles of any substance which could be put to the
same use with the same or similar effect as metallic
knuckles, nunchaku, zoobow, also known as klackers or
kung fu sticks, or any similar weapon consisting of two
sticks of wood, plastic or metal connected at one end by a
length of rope, chain, wire or leather, a shuriken or any
similar pointed starlike object intended to injure a person
when thrown, or any armband, made with leather which has
metallic spikes, points or studs or any similar device made
from any other substance or a cestus or similar material
weighted with metal or other substance and worn on the hand,
or a manrikigusari or similar length of chain having weighted
ends; or whoever, when arrested upon a warrant for an alleged
crime, or when arrested while committing a breach or disturbance
of the public peace, is armed with or has on his person, or has
on his person or under his control in a vehicle, a billy or
other dangerous weapon other than those herein mentioned and
those mentioned in paragraph (a), shall be punished by
imprisonment for not less than two and one-half years nor more
than five years in the state prison, or for not less than six
months nor more than two and one-half years in a jail or house
of correction, except that, if the court finds that the defendant
has not been previously convicted of a felony, he may be punished
by a fine of not more than fifty dollars or by imprisonment for
not more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.



Chapter 269: Section 12. Manufacturing and selling knives,
slung shots, swords, bludgeons and similar weapons; punishment.

Section 12. Whoever manufactures or causes to be manufactured,
or sells or exposes for sale, an instrument or weapon of the
kind usually known as a dirk knife, a switch knife or any knife
having an automatic spring release device by which the blade is
released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half
inches or a device or case which enables a knife with a locking
blade to be drawn at a locked position, any ballistic knife, or
any knife with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by
any mechanism, slung shot, sling shot, bean blower, sword cane,
pistol cane, bludgeon, blackjack, nunchaku, zoobow, also known
as klackers or kung fu sticks, or any similar weapon consisting
of two sticks of wood, plastic or metal connected at one end by
a length of rope, chain, wire or leather, a shuriken or any
similar pointed starlike object intended to injure a person when
thrown, or a manrikigusari or similar length of chain having
weighted ends; or metallic knuckles or knuckles of any other
substance which could be put to the same use and with the same
or similar effect as metallic knuckles, shall be punished by a
fine of not less than fifty nor more than one thousand dollars
or by imprisonment for not more than six months; provided,
however, that sling shots may be manufactured and sold to clubs
or associations conducting sporting events where such sling shots
are used.
 
Legal in NYS to carry switchblades (automatic knives) if you are afield hunting with a valid hunting license or if you are an EMT.

At least a board with nails in it is still legal in MA. [thinking]
 
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I know this thread is a bit old but I thought I would chime in. I am a Federal LEO and the basic law we were taught was switchblades are only legal if the blade is under 3" and the carrier has one arm...
 
I heard a great story about a guy that was locked up for a pocket knife (not a switch) because it violated some town ordinance. I think it was Salem. The funny part was that he was a LTC holder and was carrying a 1911 at the time. How could any cop with a shred of self respect arrest a guy for carrying a pocket knife because he saw the clip showing, while the guy was LEGALLY carrying a .45?
 
I know this thread is a bit old but I thought I would chime in. I am a Federal LEO and the basic law we were taught was switchblades are only legal if the blade is under 3" and the carrier has one arm...

. . . but only while searching for the guy who killed his wife?? [wink] [laugh]

Sorry, I had to do that!
 
Here is the MA law. No exemption for LE or Military. New York actually has a lot more exemptions, including LE, Military, Cutlery Museums, etc...

It boggles the mind that somebody can outlaw 'Two pieces of wood joined by a rope'.

Edit - These are some of the longest sentences I have ever seen. I think they were written by William Faulkner.


GENERAL LAWS OF MASSACHUSETTS
PART IV.
CRIMES, PUNISHMENTS AND PROCEEDINGS IN CRIMINAL CASES.

TITLE I. CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS.
CHAPTER 269. CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC PEACE.

Chapter 269: Section 10. Carrying dangerous weapons...

(b) Whoever, except as provided by law, carries on his
person, or carries on his person or under his control
in a vehicle, any stiletto, dagger or a device or case
which enables a knife with a locking blade to be drawn
at a locked position, any ballistic knife, or any knife
with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by any
mechanism, dirk knife, any knife having a double-edged blade,
or a switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring
release device by which the blade is released from the
handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches,
or a slung shot, blowgun, blackjack, metallic knuckles
or knuckles of any substance which could be put to the
same use with the same or similar effect as metallic
knuckles, nunchaku, zoobow, also known as klackers or
kung fu sticks, or any similar weapon consisting of two
sticks of wood, plastic or metal connected at one end by a
length of rope, chain, wire or leather, a shuriken or any
similar pointed starlike object intended to injure a person
when thrown, or any armband, made with leather which has
metallic spikes, points or studs or any similar device made
from any other substance or a cestus or similar material
weighted with metal or other substance and worn on the hand,
or a manrikigusari or similar length of chain having weighted
ends; or whoever, when arrested upon a warrant for an alleged
crime, or when arrested while committing a breach or disturbance
of the public peace, is armed with or has on his person, or has
on his person or under his control in a vehicle, a billy or
other dangerous weapon other than those herein mentioned and
those mentioned in paragraph (a), shall be punished by
imprisonment for not less than two and one-half years nor more
than five years in the state prison, or for not less than six
months nor more than two and one-half years in a jail or house
of correction, except that, if the court finds that the defendant
has not been previously convicted of a felony, he may be punished
by a fine of not more than fifty dollars or by imprisonment for
not more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.



Chapter 269: Section 12. Manufacturing and selling knives,
slung shots, swords, bludgeons and similar weapons; punishment.

Section 12. Whoever manufactures or causes to be manufactured,
or sells or exposes for sale, an instrument or weapon of the
kind usually known as a dirk knife, a switch knife or any knife
having an automatic spring release device by which the blade is
released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half
inches or a device or case which enables a knife with a locking
blade to be drawn at a locked position, any ballistic knife, or
any knife with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by
any mechanism, slung shot, sling shot, bean blower, sword cane,
pistol cane, bludgeon, blackjack, nunchaku, zoobow, also known
as klackers or kung fu sticks, or any similar weapon consisting
of two sticks of wood, plastic or metal connected at one end by
a length of rope, chain, wire or leather, a shuriken or any
similar pointed starlike object intended to injure a person when
thrown, or a manrikigusari or similar length of chain having
weighted ends; or metallic knuckles or knuckles of any other
substance which could be put to the same use and with the same
or similar effect as metallic knuckles, shall be punished by a
fine of not less than fifty nor more than one thousand dollars
or by imprisonment for not more than six months; provided,
however, that sling shots may be manufactured and sold to clubs
or associations conducting sporting events where such sling shots
are used.

Now, given the above text, is there any doubt whatsoever in your mind that those in the Massachusetts legislature want you and I completely disarmed?[rolleyes]
 
I know this thread is a bit old but I thought I would chime in. I am a Federal LEO and the basic law we were taught was switchblades are only legal if the blade is under 3" and the carrier has one arm...

What if hes just missing a hand?

I remember reading some exemption like that, but IIRC it was a state law.

Federal Switchblade Act:

http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/15C29.txt
 
I heard a great story about a guy that was locked up for a pocket knife (not a switch) because it violated some town ordinance. I think it was Salem. The funny part was that he was a LTC holder and was carrying a 1911 at the time. How could any cop with a shred of self respect arrest a guy for carrying a pocket knife because he saw the clip showing, while the guy was LEGALLY carrying a .45?

Well, one could make the case that the officer was meerly following the law, as written, with complete impartiality.

Or not.

But then, one would have to wonder why a magazine manufactured one day after another, on the same assembly line, would be illegal to own while its predecessor is not. Or why a rifle would be restricted on the basis of cosmetics.

Laws like these are not created in a vacuum - they're in response to something. Unfortunately, the actual writing of the laws does not look at the "big picture" as there's no real need. I'd guess that less than 10% of the people walking around have a pocket knife....the other 90% is not affected by the silly law.

Sound familliar?
 
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