Rob Boudrie said:
Are you saying that a gun run carried on your person with an unlocked gun is not legal since it's not on your person and carried for defense?
C 140 S 131C (a) and (b) are the relevant sections for transport in a vehicle for pistols.
(a) No person carrying a loaded firearm under a Class A license issued under section 131 or 131F shall carry the same in a vehilce unless such firearm while carried therein is under the direct control of such person. Whoever violates the provisions of this subsection shall be punished by a fine of $500.
(b) No person carrying a firearm under a Class B license issued under section 131 or 131F shall possess the same in a vehicle unless such weapon is unloaded and contained within the locked trunk of such vehicle or in a locked case or other secure container. Whoever violates the provisions of this subsection shall be punished by a fine of $500.
While Chief Glidden adds some words to the subsection (b) in his commentary, a strict read of the two sections does seem to allow people with a Class A to leave their unloaded handguns all over the car, and only a Class B holder needs the locked case. There might be case law that defines it further, but I have not looked that up.
And it seems I made an error. Section (b) does specifically state a locked case, so the lock is to be on the case, not the gun. So, you can store the gun in your car in a soft case with a trigger lock, but once the car is in motion, it has to be a locked case. *brilliant*
The only 'special' law for transporting a long arm in a vehicle is C 140 S 131C (c)
(c) No person possessing a large capacity rifle or shotgun under a Class A or Class B licence issued under section 131 or 131F shall possess the same in a vehicle unless such weapon is unloaded and contained within the locked trunk of such vehicle or in a locked case or other secure container. Whoever violates the provisions of this subsection shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000.
So, basically any non-semi or any non-large-cap can be tossed in, but large-cap have to be secured in a case. What is interesting is that there is no statement about a non-larger-capacity long gun to be 'unloaded' in this section.
Interesting - "Other Secure Container" Naturally not defined.
The mentioned C 269 S 12D that requires a case and unloaded "on a public way" only seems to apply to arms carried on the person, so even that section does not seem to apply to the vehicle.
Also, understand that if you stop the car and leave it, your guns are no longer being transported, but stored and different laws come into play.
Rather than quoting then all here, suffice it to say that having the pump shotgun laying on the back seat is no longer allowed.
I still recommend a locked case for all guns being transported because that means complies with all the various wordings in all the various sections for transport and storage. (Including federal inter-state transport)
I swear, the more I stare at Mass Law, the more idiotic it becomes. (^_^) Oh, and C 131C (d) has all the exemptions for LEO etc.