My understanding is you are legally permitted to travel through MA (or any other state/city) with items you are legally allowed to own in your home state, and in your final destination. I believe this is a federal law regarding transportation - you definitely want to transport locked, unloaded, separate from ammunition etc.
Yes, as LenS said, this is the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986, it's federal law, but remember it has it's own set of rules to follow.
So a Concealed or Pistol Licence/Permit from any State would apply? I can't imaging any State, District or Territory would issue to a drug user or felon. Those are all typically cause for denial.
NO!!!! Not for Mass. anyway.
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 131G states:
Chapter 140: Section 131G. Carrying of firearms by non-residents; conditions
Section 131G. Any person who is not a resident of the commonwealth may carry a pistol or revolver in or through the commonwealth for the purpose of taking part in a pistol or revolver competition or attending any meeting or exhibition of any organized group of firearm collectors or for the purpose of hunting; provided, that such person is a resident of the United States and has a permit or license to carry firearms issued under the laws of any state, district or territory thereof which has licensing requirements which prohibit the issuance of permits or licenses to persons who have been convicted of a felony or who have been convicted of the unlawful use, possession or sale of narcotic or harmful drugs; provided, further, that in the case of a person traveling in or through the commonwealth for the purpose of hunting, he has on his person a hunting or sporting license issued by the commonwealth or by the state of his destination. Police officers and other peace officers of any state, territory or jurisdiction within the United States duly authorized to possess firearms by the laws thereof shall, for the purposes of this section, be deemed to have a permit or license to carry firearms as described in this section.
This means that you need to have a license to carry/pistol permit issued by a state that will not issue it to people who have felony or drug convictions.
For instance, if you have ever been convicted of any drug crime, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut will never issue you a license to carry (or whatever the term is in that state). However, Florida will issue a Concealed Weapons Permit to people who have misdemeanor drug convictions if 3 years have passed between the date of conviction and the date of application for the license. New Hampshire will issue a pistol permit to people with misdemeanor drug convictions. Even if you haven't been convicted of these things, the issue is with the licensing process of the state that you are licensed in. So if you only have a NH or FL permit, you are
not allowed to bring pistols into Mass. for competition.
But there is a cheap way around this. Get a Pennsylvania Non-Resident LTCF. It's $26 for 5 years, and it's very simple to get through the mail. Since PA won't issue an LTCF if you've ever been convicted of a drug crime, this will cover you in Mass. Typically they issue the license in 1-2 weeks.
Here's a link to the application and instructions for Pennsylvania.
http://www.co.centre.pa.us/sheriff/license_application.asp
Now am I correect in assuming the responses posted above are for both MA AND CT?
Connecticut has it's own set of gun laws, they start at section 29-27 in this link:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/pub/chap529.htm
Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 529 Section 29-35 states the following:
Sec. 29-35. Carrying of pistol or revolver without permit prohibited. Exceptions. (a) No person shall carry any pistol or revolver upon his or her person, except when such person is within the dwelling house or place of business of such person, without a permit to carry the same issued as provided in section 29-28. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the carrying of any pistol or revolver by any parole officer or peace officer of this state, or parole officer or peace officer of any other state while engaged in the pursuit of official duties, or federal marshal or federal law enforcement agent, or to any member of the armed forces of the United States, as defined in section 27-103, or of this state, as defined in section 27-2, when on duty or going to or from duty, or to any member of any military organization when on parade or when going to or from any place of assembly, or to the transportation of pistols or revolvers as merchandise, or to any person transporting any pistol or revolver while contained in the package in which it was originally wrapped at the time of sale and while transporting the same from the place of sale to the purchaser's residence or place of business, or to any person removing such person's household goods or effects from one place to another, or to any person while transporting any such pistol or revolver from such person's place of residence or business to a place or individual where or by whom such pistol or revolver is to be repaired or while returning to such person's place of residence or business after the same has been repaired, or to any person transporting a pistol or revolver in or through the state for the purpose of taking part in competitions, taking part in formal pistol or revolver training, repairing such pistol or revolver or attending any meeting or exhibition of an organized collectors' group if such person is a bona fide resident of the United States and is permitted to possess and carry a pistol or revolver in the state or subdivision of the United States in which such person resides, or to any person transporting a pistol or revolver to and from a testing range at the request of the issuing authority, or to any person transporting an antique pistol or revolver, as defined in section 29-33. For the purposes of this subsection, "formal pistol or revolver training" means pistol or revolver training at a locally approved or permitted firing range or training facility, and "transporting a pistol or revolver" means transporting a pistol or revolver that is unloaded and, if such pistol or revolver is being transported in a motor vehicle, is not readily accessible or directly accessible from the passenger compartment of the vehicle or, if such pistol or revolver is being transported in a motor vehicle that does not have a compartment separate from the passenger compartment, such pistol or revolver shall be contained in a locked container other than the glove compartment or console. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the carrying of a pistol or revolver during formal pistol or revolver training or repair.
(b) The holder of a permit issued pursuant to section 29-28 shall carry such permit upon one's person while carrying such pistol or revolver.
Meaning if you're going to a competition in Connecticut and the gun is locked up and unloaded, it's legal.
But, since you want to go to matches in both Mass. and Connecticut, I'd recommend that you get a Connecticut State Permit to Carry Pistols and Revolvers. Even though it's legal to transport a pistol to a match without one, if you have it you're much less likely to be arrested or hassled by a cop who doesn't know or doesn't care about that exemption to CT law. Also, since CT doesn't issue permits to people with drug convictions, this license would allow you to transport pistols into Mass. for competitions as well. Below is the link for the CT permit and the number to call to request an application.
http://www.ct.gov/dps/cwp/view.asp?a=2158&q=294502
Out of state residents may apply for a non resident Connecticut State Pistol Permit. Non residents apply directly to the Connecticut State Police. Call 860-685-8494 to have an application mailed out.
The downside to the CT permit is that it costs more money ($70 for the permit alone, plus other fees) and you have to have proof of state approved training, passport photos, application notarized, etc. But it's cheap insurance, and it would fit your situation pretty well, since you could use it in CT and Mass. Heck, you could even get the PA permit now and be 100% legal in both CT and Mass., and use that while you get everything together for the CT permit.
If you have any more questions this is the place to ask, since you don't want to accidentally break gun laws, they tend to have serious penalties.