Pre Ban Calico mags: Legal or not?

[Fooped]

Hey everyone,

First post from a brand new member. Being a relatively new gun owner, I have spent a significant amount of time reading Mass Law and this forum trying to figure out legalities, and I've run up against a brick wall:

I was lucky enough to acquire a Calico M-900 carbine a couple of weeks ago at a local law-concious dealer in Mass. I have since ordered some accessories for it directly through Calico (They ARE back in business )
The gentleman there said that he cannot ship hi-cap drum mags to Mass, "pre ban" or not. I called my dealer and they assured me that as long as the manufacturer states that the mags are pre-ban and that they are shipped to a FFL, I could then in turn pick them up from the dealer and be "in compliance".

Is the law controlling just whether or not we have pre or post ban mags, or the number of them in the state as well?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[matt]

I'm not sure of the legality of drum mags, but some dealers just don't like to ship good stuff to MA even though it is legal. The AG has apparently put the fear of litigation into them...

Welcome to the board!

Matt

 

[Fooped]

Thanks for the warm welcome. The legality of the mag has nothing to do with its shape, but rather it's capacity and date of manufacture. I know that some dealers/distributors/manufacturers shy away from any dealings in Mass due to the legal quagmire that potentially awaits them, but it sure would be a drag to not be able to buy more mags for my Calico, as it only functions with the 50 and 100 round drum mags. There is no "low-cap" alternative. Thanks for taking interest!

 

[Lynne]

Welcome to the board Fooped. You might try recontacting them and tell them what the FFL here said. Like Matt said tho, a lot of dealers just don't want the potential hassle with the AG, so even if they can ship the wares, they don't want to get in to it.

 

[Len-2A Training]

If they are pre-ban, they are legal for him to sell them to you, ship them to you, and for you to possess them. You should provide a copy of your LTC-A/B to prove that you legally can possess them in MA.

BUT, as others have stated, the AG fraudulently has threatened any dealers that he's been made aware of that have the audacity to ship ammo, mags, components, knives, bayonets, pellet guns, and damn near anything else to anyone in MA. The "Interstate Commerce Clause" is null and void in his eyes. Therefore, many/most non-MA sources refuse to ship anything to MA, not even to an FFL!

 

[Len-2A Training]

Welcome to the forums, hope you enjoy it here.

 

[KMaurer]

1. Actual pre-ban mags are perfectly legal, even in Massachusetts, and
2. There's no legal requirement that magazine sales go through a licensed dealer, and
3. There's no state or federal prohibition on interstate purchase of magazines.

So, it would be perfectly legal to get a friend in a free state (say an NES member in NH or VT) to order the magazines and have them delivered to him or her, then turn right around and sell them to you (either here or there). It's only a straw purchase if it's illegal for the ultimate purchaser to buy them directly. In this case there's nothing illegal about it, so I'd go ahead and do it.

Ken

 

[Fooped]

Much obliged all. I have been emailing back and forth with a gentleman at Calico and it bears mentioning that he has been very helpful and patient during this process, and I sincerely believe that good customer service should be commended!

Just got my GOAL membership in the mail, and I'm ready to start contributing to this great sport in this not-so-great state!