Storage at the Gym

MaverickNH

NES Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2005
Messages
8,221
Likes
7,804
Location
SoNH
Feedback: 8 / 0 / 0
I couldn't find any MA or Boston law, save the one below, that addresses storage of a firearm that might be relevant to storing a firearm while at the gym.

When I hit the gym in Boston, my loaded/holstered handgun goes in a locker, which is locked with a sturdy combination padlock. I carry it, when heading to the gym, in a Safepacker holster from The Wilderness http://thewilderness.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=2&products_id=18 that is not identified as a holster device by any but those "in the know", so exposure is not an issue.

When at work (the company, amazingly, has no weapons prohibitions in policy), and I have to suit up to go into a cleanroom, I keep it (loaded/holstered) in a V-Line pushbutton lockbox in my desk.

Am I missing any other laws/guidance on the matter? (I didn't see any relevant posts via seach)

Thanks



Chapter 140: Section 131L. Weapons stored or kept by owner; inoperable by any person other than owner or lawfully authorized user; punishment


Section 131L. (a) It shall be unlawful to store or keep any firearm, rifle or shotgun including, but not limited to, large capacity weapons, or machine gun in any place unless such weapon is secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device, properly engaged so as to render such weapon inoperable by any person other than the owner or other lawfully authorized user. For purposes of this section, such weapon shall not be deemed stored or kept if carried by or under the control of the owner or other lawfully authorized user.
 
You are legal with what you are doing.

HOWEVER, gym lockers are regularly broken into and items (like wallets, credit cards, etc.) are stolen at most health clubs. They can usually be opened with a butter knife.

BEFORE you get inside the health club, ditch the Safepacker inside a gym bag so that nobody sees you put it in there at the club. Then hope for the best.

Only problem we face is that if it is ever stolen, your licensing authority may take a dim view of your storing it in a gym locker and decide you are an "unsuitable person".

At one time I was issued a gym locker at the PD and I refused to leave anything in it other than papers that I could afford to lose. I heard plenty of bitching by fellow officers of stuff being stolen out of their lockers (don't know if they locked them or not) and this was in the patrolmen's locker room (only LEOs had access)! One time my late chief (good friend) suggested that I store my guns in my locker while I was on vacation. I looked at him like he was crazy and told him that no way would I trust leaving them in the PD locker. He knew I was right and didn't even rebut my remarks. A while later I voluntarily gave him back my locker key, as I had no use for it anyway.

Good luck!
 
I don't like it

Keeping a loaded gun in a gym locker, or the scumbags that break in? [smile]

I guess the alternative of storing it in my car is less appealing as, aside from trouble in covertly unloading/locking it up in a busy parking lot --

I've lived in NH since 1998 and worked in MA all but one year, and had my car broken into 3 times:

1. Parking lot of Gold's Gym in Tewskbury
2. Parking lot of YMCA in Lowell
3. Parking lot of YMCA in Reading

And always between 5am and 8am. Either the members are scumbags or kids on the way to school are to blame. I don't drive expensive cars and have nothing of value in them or visible. Stolen items have included a few selected CDs and a flashlight from the glovebox.

Fortunately the lockers I've used have been well constructed (metal, screws/bolts inside, my own lock). Otherwise I'd keep nothing of value in them.

I'll take the suggestion to over-bag my SafePacker though. There are a few at my gym that might spot it. I don't know for sure if they are LEOs - one guy carries a revolver in an belt holster (and take no care to conceal while dressing) and another guy departs in full SWAT tactical black (no patches/insignia or rip-aways visible ... hmmm).

Boston transit and city police have never taken notice of the SafePacker - I'd guess none have ever heard of such a thing. If the stats are right, and few police carry a BUG or while off-duty, most have probably never carried concealed and only expect so-called Mexican carry from their usual clientele.
 
Well, therein lies the problem... its like locker vs car. IMO, car storage
is probably worse. You're also limited there by virtue of the fact that
you can't (legally) keep the gun loaded in the car (which sucks and makes
things even more inconvenient).

I guess it also depends on the type of locker. The ones that take a
pass-through hasp that allow you to supply your own lock are probably a bit
more secure than the ones that have an internal latching mechanism or an
integral lock. In the case of the hasp theyd have to either defeat the
door/hasp phsyically or the lock itself.

-Mike
 
...theyd have to either defeat the
door/hasp phsyically or the lock itself.
-Mike

... and with cut metal as proof of the effort needed to defeat my attempts at reasonable security, I'd bet I could offer strong arguement that I was not negligent. Sadly, it would be a good bet I'd lose that bet in Boston, none-the-less.

I'd mourn the loss of a firearm, but grieve more that some scumbag had it.

BTW - are there penalties in MA for failure to report stolen firearms? Given the slim chance they would ever recover a stolen firearm, that having the model/SN would be of minimal use in law enforcement and that alerting authorities may disqualify one for future LTC "privileges" in MA, one can weigh moral/ethical issues and not clearly come out on the side of reporting...
 
BTW - are there penalties in MA for failure to report stolen firearms?
Yes there are. You must notify the Criminal History Systems Board with an FA-10 if you lose or find a gun, just like if you sold or bought a gun.
 
BTW - are there penalties in MA for failure to report stolen firearms? Given the slim chance they would ever recover a stolen firearm, that having the model/SN would be of minimal use in law enforcement and that alerting authorities may disqualify one for future LTC "privileges" in MA, one can weigh moral/ethical issues and not clearly come out on the side of reporting...

I've never -seen- a penalty, at least not under the MGL gun
regs.. (EDIT, guess there is one, see M1911's reference above)
but that doesn't mean there isn't some other law that applies to
it. If the gun is registered here and the PD finds it (eventually)
they would probably want to have a talk with you about why your gun ended
up in the hands of a crack dealer they busted, regardless of whether or not
it was used in a crime. If the gun was never registered here (say it's a
temporary import, eg, someone who doesn't reside here and is carrying on a
nonresident permit) chances are they'd have to do a full blown ATF trace t
to find the owner. If the gun is not used in a crime it might never be
traced back to the owner, depending on the resources of the agency and
the motives behind the trace request. (The ATF does require a
justification by any LE agency for processing a trace, but I've never heard
of them denying a request, either.)

-Mike
 
Last edited:
Crotch holster... never remove it. I've never used one, nor do a care to try, but it might be an option. Might be uncomfortable at the gym. [rolleyes]
 
Crotch holster... never remove it. I've never used one, nor do a care to try, but it might be an option. Might be uncomfortable at the gym. [rolleyes]


I have a Smart Carry and use it occasionally. I've carried my full size P99, and I tried it with my new 5" 1911 briefly (pun intended) and it seemed even more comfortable.

BTW -- here's a possible solution for wrapping a handgun safe inside a gym bag:

http://www.shomer-tec.com/site/product.cfm?id=99887213-F553-E130-7F2BE5BED6A1828B
 
drgrant: Take a gander at MGL Ch. 140 S129C:
Chapter 140: Section 129C. Application of Sec. 129B; ownership or possession of firearms or ammunition; transfers; report to executive director; exemptions; exhibiting license to carry, etc. on demand

Section 129C. No person, other than a licensed dealer or one who has been issued a license to carry a pistol or revolver or an exempt person as hereinafter described, shall own or possess any firearm, rifle, shotgun or ammunition unless he has been issued a firearm identification card by the licensing authority pursuant to the provisions of section one hundred and twenty-nine B.

No person shall sell, give away, loan or otherwise transfer a rifle or shotgun or ammunition other than (a) by operation of law, or (b) to an exempt person as hereinafter described, or (c) to a licensed dealer, or (d) to a person who displays his firearm identification card, or license to carry a pistol or revolver.

A seller shall, within seven days, report all such transfers to the executive director of the criminal history systems board according to the provisions set forth in section one hundred and twenty-eight A, and in the case of loss, theft or recovery of any firearm, rifle, shotgun or machine gun, a similar report shall be made forthwith to both the executive director of the criminal history systems board and the licensing authority in the city or town where the owner resides. Failure to so report shall be cause for suspension or permanent revocation of such person’s firearm identification card or license to carry firearms, or both, and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $200 nor more than $1,000 for a first offense and by a fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000 for a second offense.
full text is here:

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/140-129c.htm

The firearms laws are online. I suggest that people learn where they are and take a gander through them when questions like this come up. It usually doesn't take more than a few minutes to find the appropriate section.
 
Of course, the million dollar question is....

What if the gun stolen is that of a nonresident's, who is carrying on a
nonresident license? I would guess that at that point, they'd be reporting
the theft to the CHSB and the state police? (MSP issues all the nonres
licenses, so that's my best guess... )

-Mike
 
Give this a try......

http://www.shopberetta.com/e2wItemM...0991&parentLink=012000100:008000173:008000161

If you could find a way to lock it onto your locker, it may work.

That's a pretty nifty rig, but if someone can cut off the hasp/lock on my locker, that 4mm cable might not be a huge deterrent.

To some degree, being seen locking something up makes observers think there is something of value there, so quick and inconspicuous are good things.

I guess it's, as always, a personal risk balancing decision:

1. Sufficiently convienient so as to to encourage carry
2. Sufficiently secured to prevent theft
3. Sufficiently accessable to make useful
4. Sufficiently covert to avoid detection

BTW - my Kel-Tec P3AT fits in a neoprene Tune-Belt - I've bicycled 40mi and hardly noticed it. A .380acp in the hand beats a 45acp in the trunk.
 
You might want to try a fanny pack like this:

http://www.lapolicegear.com/blfapa.html

policestuff_1932_28143993


I've got a slightly different one that works well. I put my ipod in one of the pockets, along with my wallet, keys, etc. so it looks like I'm using it for the usual type of stuff.

Edit: Personally I would not leave a gun in the locker room at all. I don't trust the lockers or the people that go in there. Best to keep it on your person or lock it up in the trunk of your car if you need to (unloaded of course as you wouldn't want to violate MA's insane gun laws). [rolleyes]

Fanny packs are soooooo eighties!
 
drgrant: Take a gander at MGL Ch. 140 S129C:
full text is here:
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/140-129c.htm
The firearms laws are online. I suggest that people learn where they are and take a gander through them when questions like this come up. It usually doesn't take more than a few minutes to find the appropriate section.

Yup - I just went to the GOAL index at http://www.goal.org/legislation/quickoverview.html and copied all text to a single searchable document
 
I belong to a gym Maverick, but I never use the lockers. I put my fanny pack on and move it from back to front or front to back, depending on what I'm working on at the time. Hey...ya never know when a jerk could come in to the gym and I sure as hell don't want my personal protection device to be 30 or more feet away from me. [smile]
 
Lynne, you must look kinda silly in the shower!!!!! [smile]

See I knew there was a good reason to avoid the gym. It's not that I'm lazy, it's just that I'm just gun concious.
 
I guess the alternative of storing it in my car is less appealing as, aside from trouble in covertly unloading/locking it up in a busy parking lot --

I've lived in NH since 1998 and worked in MA all but one year, and had my car broken into 3 times:

1. Parking lot of Gold's Gym in Tewskbury
2. Parking lot of YMCA in Lowell
3. Parking lot of YMCA in Reading

And always between 5am and 8am. Either the members are scumbags or kids on the way to school are to blame.

OK - make that 4 times - Beverly YMCA this time during a swim meet. Sunday sometime between 7am and noon. WFT is it with breaking into cars at the gym in MA? I go to the gym in Manchester and Goffstown NH weekly and never in 10yr have I have I had a car broken into up here.

I come to MA for work (as there is little/no biotech/pharma in NH), pay my MA state taxes and only get a $500 deducatable insurance fee for window/door damage in return (we have no glass coverage in NH).

Locked my Kahr P45 in Goblin Fanny Pack in the locker (everyone had a fanny pack it seemed, so no exposure) with the key lock and my padlock. The old farts asked why I was adding a padlock to the keylock (given out by the front desk) and I had to make up a story about how I've had my locker broken into in NH. They said no worries in the Beverly YMCA - no kids in the adult locker room so no breakins. I guess it's those Young Men Christians (and otherwise) that Associate and cause most of the theft and vandalism at the YMCA, eh?
 
As a member of a prior health club, they had a "bucket" for members to drop their keys in on the desk while they worked out. MOST came in with nothing more than their keys!!

A number of times I heard someone say "I'll run out to my car to get the money/credit card" when they bought an energy bar/water/paid for some services. It's obvious to me that much > 50% left their wallets in the car. I'd say that this makes it a "rich target" for smash and grab theft.

Don't see that at the health club we currently belong to, so maybe they are less of a target?
 
I used to work at a gym years ago. There were a few cases of auto break-ins, and a few cases of person leaving their keys on a table/excercise machine and having their car broken into with the keys they left out.

However, there were a TON of locker break ins. It's simple physics. I never saw bolt cutters used, but several times a slim piece of metal was used to basically tear off a lock, and a co-worker showed me how you can sharply strike a combination lock one time in the right way and get it to pop open, and still lock again after. I also recall a time that a regular customer put his stuff in his locker, swam for 15 minutes, and came out to find his wallet gone and the lock broken off of his locker. He called his credit card company right away, and just before he'd called someone bought $2,000 worth of electronics at a store that was a 10 minute drive away. Criminals move fast, and in an environment where loud bangs from slamming lockers are white noise, don't expect anyone to notice anything out of the ordinary.

Based on my experience, if you're going to the gym with it, keep it on you at all times, or be ready to never see it again.

And sorry, I can't help with the legal aspect of it.
 
I belong to Boston Athletic Club, and there seem to be a fair number of LEO's there.

None that I've noticed carry a firearm in, unless it's already in a bag and transferred to a locker. I use a fanny pack but generally leave it locked in the car (actually, to the car).

Not sure how many locker thefts actually occur: the management puts up signs all the time saying there have been a rash of break-ins, but I think it's mostly to encourage people to lock up.
 
I'm facing the same issue, now that I've finally joined a gym.

I think it will be much riskier unloading it and leaving it in the car, than just carrying it in. I usually pocket carry, so I can (carefully) leave my revolver in my pants pocket when I change, and no one will notice. I checked police reports, and apparently thefts from this particular club are quite rare, so I'm not terribly concerned with theft from the locker.
 
Not a good idea to leave the piece in a locker or a car.

Cars and lockers have been busted into a few times at the gym I use here in Springfield, so I keep my gun on my person, in my pocket, when I work out. You don't need to be hasseled by all that liability bullshit,

I carry a S&W J frame and no one has ever noticed the bulge.

I remember about ten years ago an aerobics instructor was screwing
around on her husband, so he went to the gym where she was working and offed her and somebody else with a sawed off shotgun.
California, I think. Anybody else remember that.

Anyway, the point is you have a gun for self defense, but if you don't keep it within arm's length you can't defend yourself in a timely manner. When seconds count, running to your gun and f***ing around with a lock can get you killed.

Do what ever you think's best.

MAJOR D
 
I seem to remember quite a few people coming to the gym to pursue horizontal nocturnal excercise without their spouse when I worked there. A nutzo angry husband seems pretty likely to me too.
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that YMCA's are also pre-school and kindergarten sites. I believe this would qualify as a school. I may be wrong on this one though.
 
Back
Top Bottom