A Guide to Firearm Compliance in Massachusetts

A Guide to Firearm Compliance in Massachusetts

Understanding Massachusetts’ firearm laws is crucial for every gun owner. This guide provides a detailed overview of the primary state-level requirements that define what makes a handgun, rifle, or shotgun “compliant” for sale and ownership by a dealer in the Commonwealth.

A close-up black and white photo of the Lady Justice figurine with scales representing firearm compliance in Massachusetts.

Disclaimer

This guide is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal advice. Firearm laws in Massachusetts are complex, subject to change, and have been affected by multiple enforcement notices. Please consult a qualified attorney for advice regarding your specific situation and always verify compliance with official state sources like the Attorney General’s Office and the MA Approved Roster.

Massachusetts Handgun Compliance Rules

01

The Approved Firearms Roster

Massachusetts lets dealers sell a handgun only if it’s on the state’s Approved Firearms Roster and it also meets the Attorney General’s handgun-sales rules. We verify the exact model/variant before transfer.

Heads-up: “MA-compliant” describes what dealers can sell; it isn’t a full list of what licensed owners may possess.
02

Attorney General’s Regulations (940 CMR 16.00)

Massachusetts has Attorney General handgun-sale rules on top of the Roster. These apply to dealer transfers and focus on safety features and disclosures. CFC Tactical follows them for every sale. The AG Rules are as follows:

  • Child-resistant design. Handguns must have a built-in way to stop operation by a small child (e.g., heavier trigger or multi-step action).
  • Either a load indicator or a magazine disconnect for mag-fed pistols.
  • Safety materials + brief demo at pickup (how to load/unload/store; note if LCI, mag disconnect, or internal safety is missing).
  • Short barrels (<3″): we give the model’s 7/14/21-yd accuracy disclosure.
03

What counts as an “assault-style handgun” in Massachusetts?

A handgun is “assault-style” if it’s a semiautomatic pistol that accepts a detachable magazine and has at least two of these features:

  • A magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip.
  • A threaded barrel capable of accepting a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward hand-grip, or silencer.
  • A barrel shroud (not including the slide) designed to shield the hand from heat
  • A second hand-grip or a protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand
Heads-up: By law (§131M), assault-style firearms generally cannot be sold or newly possessed in MA. Limited exceptions apply if the firearm was lawfully possessed in MA on Aug 1, 2024 and is registered (§121B) and serialized (§121C).
04

Magazine Capacity

  • All new handguns sold by a dealer in Massachusetts must be sold with magazines that have a capacity of 10 rounds or less.

Massachusetts Rifle & Shotgun Compliance Rules

01

Semiautomatic Rifles

Under Massachusetts law, a semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that accepts a detachable magazine is treated as an assault-style firearm if it has two or more of these features:

  • Folding or telescoping stock.
  • Thumbhole stock
  • Pistol grip
  • Forward grip or second protruding hand-grip
  • Bayonet Lug
  • Threaded barrel for a flash suppressor or muzzle break.
  • Barrel shroud that shields the support hand from heat

What this means for shoppers

Assault-style rifles generally can’t be sold in Massachusetts. If you already own one, the law only recognizes limited situations if it was lawfully possessed in MA on Aug 1, 2024 and then registered (§121B) and serialized (§121C). Ask us if you’re unsure.

  • Certain named models (e.g., AR-15, AK-series) and their copies or duplicates are treated as assault-style firearms regardless of features.
02

Semiautomatic Shotguns

In Massachusetts, a semiautomatic shotgun is treated as an assault-style firearm if it has two or more of the features below:

  • A folding or telescoping stock.
  • A thumbhole stock or pistol grip
  • A protruding grip for the non-trigger hand
  • The capacity to accept a detachable feed device

What this means for shoppers

Assault-style shotguns generally can’t be sold in MA. Limited exceptions apply only if the firearm was lawfully possessed in MA on Aug 1, 2024 and then registered (§121B) and serialized (§121C).

03

Magazine Capacity

  • Massachusetts law calls any magazine over 10 rounds (or over 5 shotgun shells) a large-capacity feeding device (LCFD). We do not sell or transfer LCFDs in MA. New sales are limited to 10 rounds or fewer for firearms and 5 shells or fewer for shotguns.
    Note: The law excludes certain tubes (e.g., .22 rimfire tubes and tubes in lever-action firearms or pump shotguns).

Grandfather rule

LCFDs are only lawful to keep if they were lawfully possessed on Sept 13, 1994, and even then only in specific places (home, range, gunsmith, etc.) and while locked in transit.

Detailed Definitions & Exemptions

Besides the feature tests, Massachusetts also names certain models that count as assault-style firearms. If a gun is on this list or is a copy or duplicate of one then it’s treated as assault-style even without the features.

Rifles:

  • Colt AR-15
  • Avtomat Kalashnikov (AK) series (all models)
  • Beretta AR70 (SC-70)
  • Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR, FNC
  • Steyr AUG
  • Action Arms / IMI UZI and Galil

Shotguns:

  • Action Arms / IMI UZI and Galil

Pistols:

  • INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9, and TEC-22 (Note: The TEC-22 can be considered a pistol)
  • SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, M-12

Massachusetts excludes a few categories from the assault-style firearm definition. In plain terms, this label doesn’t apply to:

  • Any firearm operated by manual bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.
  • A firearm that has been rendered permanently inoperable.
  • Antiques, relics, or theatrical props that can’t fire a projectile and aren’t readily convertible into a working assault-style firearm.
  • The specific models listed in federal Appendix A to 18 U.S.C. §922 (as that appendix appeared on Sept 13, 1994, and as those models were made on Oct 1, 1993).
  • A semiautomatic shotgun that holds 5 rounds or fewer in a fixed or detachable feeding device.

“Copy or Duplicate”

This label applies when a semiautomatic firearm that accepts a detachable magazine is essentially the same as a model named in Massachusetts law. In other words if the gun’s internal operating parts are substantially similar to a listed model, or it uses the same or an interchangeable receiver, it’s treated as a copy/duplicate. Those guns are regulated the same as the named model.

“Pre-Ban” Status

  • Firearms: The old 1994 “pre-ban firearm” idea doesn’t control sales now. Under the 2024 law, what matters is whether an assault-style firearm was lawfully possessed in Massachusetts on Aug 1, 2024. If yes, there are limited paths to keep it that require registration and serialization; new sales are not allowed.
  • Magazines: “Pre-ban” means a large-capacity magazine made before Sept 13, 1994. Keeping one is narrowly allowed, but there are place-of-possession limits (home/property, licensed range, gunsmith, etc.) and it must be locked in transit. Dealers don’t sell or transfer large-capacity magazines in MA.

Important Note: Determining “copy/duplicate” or “pre-ban” status can be highly nuanced. We strongly advise consulting with a qualified firearms attorney for guidance on these specific matters.

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