PA Firearms to MA

[jkon]

I have my Massachusetts LTC-A. Question...I still own a couple rifles at my parents home in PA when I was a resident there. The rifles are a Remington 22 cal pump rifle and a Ithaca 20 guage shotgun. I would like to bring them to Massachusetts permanently on my next visit. When I get them to Massachusetts do I need to register them in any way? Thanks.

 

[pastera]

Yes, as you did not bring them with you to Mass when you moved here you will need to register (eFA-10) if you bring them here now.

However, other than this post if you owned them prior to moving to Mass, there really isn't any way of proving you didn't have them when you moved to Mass.

YMMV - IANAL

 

[goodzilla]

Yes, as you did not bring them with you to Mass when you moved here you will need to register (eFA-10) if you bring them here now.

However, other than this post if you owned them prior to moving to Mass, there really isn't any way of proving you didn't have them when you moved to Mass.

YMMV - IANAL

nailed it.

...7 days to register...if so inclined. Do you have any paperwork with date of purchase to establish you owned them prior to MA?

 

[jkon]

I have no paperwork. I purchased them in PA over 35 years ago. So if I brought them to MA when I moved here 26 years ago, then I would not have to register them today?

 

[Racenet]

Guns? What guns?

 

[hunt4riches]

Yes, as you did not bring them with you to Mass when you moved here you will need to register (eFA-10) if you bring them here now.

However, other than this post if you owned them prior to moving to Mass, there really isn't any way of proving you didn't have them when you moved to Mass.

YMMV - IANAL

No matter what, "you brought them back last weekend" and leave it at that. Built an AR from a blank lower? You did that last weekend....

EFA10 means "Extremely F(udge)ing Asinine x10"

 

[drgrant]

Not sure how long FA-10 system has been in place or if there is grandfathering or whatever. I'm pretty sure the answer is "you need to drop an FA-10 on any firearm you bring into MA, within 10 days of bringing it in". Do a search its discussed alot. IF you had actually brought it in many years ago, I think you are still supposed to do the MA paperwork, you are not gonna get jammed up for filing too late, I know people who have without a problem.

Filing late is kinda pointless, given the statute of limitations is 6 years on "paper gun law" violations in MA. If you imported something say, 10 years ago, and forgot to register it, you're better off not doing a damned thing. You can't unring the bell, and it'll stop ringing on its own if you wait long
enough anyways.

The only reason you won't get jammed up for filing late is because. basically, nobody cares, and there's no way for them to prove anything, one way or the other... so the gun you bought made by "Bozo DeClown Industries " with the 69" barrel on it will gleefully be input into the computer as long as you type it in.

-Mike

 

[dcmdon]

Conversely, there is no way of proving that he did take them into MA back when he moved.

Legally, yes, drop an FA-10 form.

Practically, I think the law gives you 10 days or something from the time the firearm physically entered MA. Id like to see somebody attempt to prove when a gun entered MA and then attempt to bring charges for being out of compliance with the FA-10 form requirement. Its an unenforceable law.

He doesn't have to prove anything.

The state has to prove that he did not bring them. Which would have been impossible until this thread was started.

Please don't spread incorrect Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. When you move to MA, you do not need to, and IMHO you should not FA10 the firearms you bring here.

- - - Updated - - -

Post #2 was perfect. Close the thread.

 

[drgrant]

He doesn't have to prove anything.

The state has to prove that he did not bring them. Which would have been impossible until this thread was started.
.

The burden is higher than that- "They" have to prove that he failed to report a transfer or acquisition, assuming that at a given time he was actually legally required to do so. This is a difficult bar to reach unless you have a compulsory registration system; which mass doesn't have, contrary to popular belief. (EG a system where they can convict you for simply having a gun that isn't present in some registry. )

-Mike