Massachusetts doubles down on an "assault weapons" ban

[nycnoob]

Text of Mass Gov Assault Weapons Guidance: http://www.mass.gov/ago/public-safet...s-guidance.pdf

July 20, 2016
ENFORCEMENT NOTICE
PROHIBITED ASSAULT WEAPONS
The Office of the Attorney General (AGO) is issuing this Enforcement Notice to provide a
framework to gun sellers and others for understanding the definition of “Assault weapon”
contained in G.L. c. 140, § 121 (“Section 121”). In particular, this notice provides guidance on
the identification of weapons that are “copies” or “duplicates” of the enumerated Assault
weapons that are banned under Massachusetts law.
This guidance will be applied to future transfers of “Assault weapons,” as that term is defined in
Section 121. This may include, without limitation, the AGO’s enforcement of criminal laws such
as G.L. c. 140, §§ 128 and 131M, and civil laws such as G.L. c. 93A.

What stood out for me was this section. Can anyone tell me if the "magazine port" portion of the test refers to any rifle that takes STANAG magazines?

2. Interchangeability Test: A weapon is a Copy or Duplicate if it has a receiver that is the
same as or interchangeable with the receiver of an Enumerated Weapon. A receiver will
be treated as the same as or interchangeable with the receiver on an Enumerated Weapon
if it includes or accepts two or more operating components that are the same as or
interchangeable with those of an Enumerated Weapon. Such operating components may
include, but are not limited to:

1) the trigger assembly;

2) the bolt carrier or bolt carrier group;

3) the charging handle;

4) the extractor or extractor assembly; or

5) the magazine port.

[alohadoug]

Text of Mass Gov Assault Weapons Guidance: http://www.mass.gov/ago/public-safet...s-guidance.pdf

What stood out for me was this section. Can anyone tell me if the "magazine port" portion of the test refers to any rifle that takes STANAG magazines?

The leading "guess" up here is that yes, that refers to the mag well. Using that standard some AR/Non-AR developed for restricted states (Troy pump or Scar rifle lower with AR upper) would be banned as well because of the interchange of components.

Aloha

[MichaelD]

So what I wanna know is, when is Smith & Wesson going to abandon Springfield for greener pastures?

[HCM]

So what I wanna know is, when is Smith & Wesson going to abandon Springfield for greener pastures?

They have a production facility in Maine.

[alohadoug]

So what I wanna know is, when is Smith & Wesson going to abandon Springfield for greener pastures?

They're head is so far up .gov around here. It won't happen. Springfield is famous for being anti-2a already (forget about getting a LTC permit) and S&W already had Mass State Police handgun and rifle contracts. Plus a large number of smaller agencies follow MSP.

They won't leave.

Aloha

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Seems like it would lead to a LOT of cases getting appealed to the US Supreme court.

Well, that will do a lot of good.

Sounds to me that the anti folks learned their lesson from the AWB where simple modifications and work-arounds allowed basically the same gun to be made and sold. You see folks chortle about how clever they are with NY compliant ARs or bullet button whatevers in CA. This is a move just to take everything out. The Modern Sporting Rifle whine won't help.

[alohadoug]

Its about seni-autos not just MSR.

I think Nyeti posted about having a revolver (or two), a pump shotgun and a level gun for Cali... I know more than a couple shooter here that are planning for that here. I give it 5 years and the AG will have banned semis in the state.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

That is the ultimate plan as in Australia. However, the impetus for this was, IMHO, the AR work arounds and the research demonstrating that weapons of equally efficacy to the ARs were being OK'ed.

[Malamute]

The leading "guess" up here is that yes, that refers to the mag well. Using that standard some AR/Non-AR developed for restricted states (Troy pump or Scar rifle lower with AR upper) would be banned as well because of the interchange of components.
Aloha

Does that pertain to semi autos or to any gun, even manually operated that may use some parts in common with semi autos?

AR lowers are used with some bolt action uppers, and there are manually operated ARs of various types, some that are straight pull actions using basically all AR parts. They are allowed in England which has very strict laws about semi-autos and all other guns.

[alohadoug]

Does that pertain to semi autos or to any gun, even manually operated that may use some parts in common with semi autos?

AR lowers are used with some bolt action uppers, and there are manually operated ARs of various types, some that are straight pull actions using basically all AR parts. They are allowed in England which has very strict laws about semi-autos and all other guns.

Unfortunately no one knows. The AG's comments today implied that any rifle using those parts, but the letter to dealers says "semi-autos"