time warp: MA gun law

[Coyote33]

In light of the latest Supreme Court ruling, I was thinking about gun laws in MA through the years.

If we could go back in time with MA gun laws, where would you go, given the choice of:
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010

Keep in mind that MA did not used to be a "concealed carry" state back when. You used to have to keep some part of the gun exposed so as to "not be hiding anything".

other milestones:
Gun Control Act of 1968
1989 AWB
1998 MA Gun Control Laws (Ch. 180)
1996 (or 1994?) federal law (ban?)
too many others to remember


That said, I'd say we were doing OK back in the 60's and 70's, but were missing many of the materials and innovations available now, along with concealed carry.

Tough call.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Keep in mind that MA did not used to be a "concealed carry" state back when. You used to have to keep some part of the gun exposed so as to "not be hiding anything".

Really? And when was that? I got into the game in the mid-1970s and ccw was definitely allowed and preferred.

As a kid growing up . . . back in the late 1950s thru 1960s I would see people walking with a rifle on their shoulder or a pistol in their hand past houses, on their way to a sandpit or the woods to go shooting. No issues, no police involvement. Ammo and guns were sold in the local hardware store, Western Auto, Sears, etc. with no age requirements.

 

[OPM]

Oh my God! How deep was the blood???

 

[Coyote33]

Really? And when was that? I got into the game in the mid-1970s and ccw was definitely allowed and preferred.

70's.

As a kid growing up . . . back in the late 1950s thru 1960s I would see people walking with a rifle on their shoulder or a pistol in their hand past houses, on their way to a sandpit or the woods to go shooting. No issues, no police involvement. Ammo and guns were sold in the local hardware store, Western Auto, Sears, etc. with no age requirements.

Same here.

 

[Nitro]

If we could go back in time with MA gun laws, where would you go, given the choice of:

I want a new choice. 1800's anywhere. Not at all a fan of government regulating my life.

 

[cekim]

I want a new choice. 1800's anywhere. Not at all a fan of government regulating my life.

Sadly in MA, this would not have freed you from government regulating your life...

This state has been specializing in micromanaging people since before the US existed...

From how much clothing you had to wear to swim to what days you could work or drink...

I think pre GCA68 is pretty decent in most cases, though that $200 NFA tax bit hard in 1967 dollars compared to now... So, it depends on how you want to work your time warp...

I've always said that NFA is no less an abomination on 2A as any other restriction, but if that was the only one, I'd have a hard time convincing anyone to lobby the state-house/Congress...

 

[Zappa]

that $200 NFA tax bit hard in 1967 dollars compared to now...

It was even tougher on 1934 dollars.

 

[cekim]

It was even tougher on 1934 dollars.

Yes, a classic example of the real intent of Gun Control - limit access to the elite...

 

[KMaurer]

I think pre GCA68 is pretty decent in most cases, though that $200 NFA tax bit hard in 1967 dollars compared to now... So, it depends on how you want to work your time warp...

Knowing what I know about Microsoft, Apple, Google, Yahoo and a few dozen other companies dating back to the late 50's, I'd guess that a $200 transfer tax (or even a $2M transfer tax) wouldn't pose any serious problem.

Ken

 

[Coyote33]

I want a new choice. 1800's anywhere. Not at all a fan of government regulating my life.

Then your firearm choices are going to be a lot more limited, not to mention lifestyle and lifespan.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

I want a new choice. 1800's anywhere. Not at all a fan of government regulating my life.

Assuming you like horses can live without the internet and 1911's, that's not a bad choice until you need a dentist or an antibiotic.

It was even tougher on 1934 dollars.

Back in 1934, it was obvious to congress that they could not ban a type of gun, and a prohibitive tax was seen as the next best thing.

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

I'd take the 1920's forward....depression and all....and if I could find those lawyers representing Miller, they'd have a good ass kicking coming to them.

 

[GOAL C.M.]

This is a page I did a while ago with a historical overview of national firearms regulation.

Notice how the dates of the regulation coincide with acts of violence, amazing, even going back to 1934 how our legislators have knee jerked and have infringed upon our rights because of the acts of a few deranged individuals.

http://goal.org/regulationpages/nationalregs.html

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

This is a page I did a while ago with a historical overview of national firearms regulation.

Notice how the dates of the regulation coincide with acts of violence, amazing, even going back to 1934 how our legislators have knee jerked and have infringed upon our rights because of the acts of a few deranged individuals.

http://goal.org/regulationpages/nationalregs.html

Worse yet....notice how the public accepted these useless laws and never recognized them for the infringements that they were? The dumbing down of Amerika( the K is deliberate) coincides directly with the passage of these gun laws.

 

[jcr]

Keep in mind that MA did not used to be a "concealed carry" state back when. You used to have to keep some part of the gun exposed so as to "not be hiding anything".

I would hope that you would follow up on this assertion.

I know of no law that was passed in MA that explicitly made concealed carry legal. If you do, or can give us a rough pointer, please do.

If you refer to court cases that criminalized "hiding anything", and then court cases that found concealment okay, we would like any info that you have along those lines, too.

Until I see something specific, I tend to categorize things like this as originating when someone "heard a guy talking at a gun store."

 

[bob68]

Really? And when was that? I got into the game in the mid-1970s and ccw was definitely allowed and preferred.

As a kid growing up . . . back in the late 1950s thru 1960s I would see people walking with a rifle on their shoulder or a pistol in their hand past houses, on their way to a sandpit or the woods to go shooting. No issues, no police involvement. Ammo and guns were sold in the local hardware store, Western Auto, Sears, etc. with no age requirements.

the same here. i cant count how many times i bought ammo at western auto, or at the local hardware store. it was about 73 or 74 that i started ccw and nothing had to be showing. it was a far better time than it is now.

 

[wahsben]

With the dates you listed my choice would be 1965.

 

[mikem317]

Early 20th century is my vote.

 

[Coyote33]

I would hope that you would follow up on this assertion.

I know of no law that was passed in MA that explicitly made concealed carry legal. If you do, or can give us a rough pointer, please do.

If you refer to court cases that criminalized "hiding anything", and then court cases that found concealment okay, we would like any info that you have along those lines, too.

Until I see something specific, I tend to categorize things like this as originating when someone "heard a guy talking at a gun store."

I was a kid at the time. However, at least one or two people here on NES have corroborated that info.