Most weapons are outlawed for carry or possession in MA, and those few legal, even the less lethal ones like pepperspray require permission and someone to purchase the privelidge. That privelidge expires and must be repurchased at intervals. Requesting or being granted such permission of course registers you in a state database.
Complete BS from someone does not know a thing about Mass gun laws. First no gun are not illegal to carry. Even open carry is legal here though only when hunting. Only handguns are heavily restricted in the state. Long arms are not restricted. Yes all firearm transactions are recored with the Firearm Board. You do not need permission to buy a gun or pepper spray only the proper license. All licenses are for six years then renewed. Licenses are normal in many states, not just Massachusetts.
Notice I said "weapons" because I was refering to a lot more than just firearms. MA has some of the strictest laws on a wide range of weapons, and yes most are outlawed for carry without prior permission in the form of a license, and a license can only be obtained for a few of them, which does include firearms.
How can you say long arms are not restricted if someone needs a FID to even purchase or continue to own one? I am glad your definition of "restricted" is not the norm.
Yes handguns are even more restricted. That does not make something else you still need a license to even own "unrestricted".
Perhaps what you meant to say is you still retain some of your freedom with long arms.
There is many states in the US where firearms really are "unrestricted" at the state level. MA however generaly has heavily restricted, and restricted. You have just come to accept the regular "restricted" as "unrestricted".
Many non firearm weapons are banned altogether regardless of licenses.
Take this paraghraph for example:
"Whoever, except as provided by law, carries on his person, or carries on his person or under his control in a vehicle, any stiletto, dagger or a device or case which enables a knife with a locking blade to be drawn at a locked position, any ballistic knife, or any knife with a detachable blade capable of being propelled by any mechanism, dirk knife, any knife having a double-edged blade, or a switch knife, or any knife having an automatic spring release device by which the blade is released from the handle, having a blade of over one and one-half inches, or a slung shot, blowgun, blackjack, metallic knuckles or knuckles of any substance which could be put to the same use with the same or similar effect as metallic knuckles, nunchaku, zoobow, also known as klackers or kung fu sticks, or any similar weapon consisting of two sticks of wood, plastic or metal connected at one end by a length of rope, chain, wire or leather, a shuriken or any similar pointed starlike object intended to injure a person when thrown, or any armband, made with leather which has metallic spikes, points or studs or any similar device made from any other substance or a cestus or similar material weighted with metal or other substance and worn on the hand, or a manrikigusari or similar length of chain having weighted ends; or whoever, when arrested upon a warrant for an alleged crime, or when arrested while committing
a breach or disturbance of the public peace, is armed with or has on his person, or has on his person or under his control in a vehicle, a billy
or other dangerous weapon other than those herein mentioned and those mentioned in paragraph (a), shall be punished by
imprisonment for not less than two and one-half years nor more than five years in the state prison, or for not less than six months nor more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction, except that, if the court finds that the defendant has not been previously convicted of a felony, he may be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction."
Tell me that is not one of the most all inclusive loads of bull you have seen in any state statute? A breach of the peace is basicly anything that would cause the police to respond. That outlaws any type of weapon not mentioned. How is it even legal to write such a law? That means if officers respond, anything that is or could be used as a weapon found in someone's possession is a felony, even if not outlawed by a statute, and that item was not even involved.
If police show up, pat someone down, and find something that could possibly be a weapon it is a felony if they choose to say there was a breach of the peace.
Boston area even has a 2 1/2 inch blade limit. MA is one of the few states in the nation various items cannot be sent to. Usualy on a short list including New York city, CA, Illinois and New Jersey.
Its statutes are also more restrictive of many things than most states. The pepperspray example is just one.
I also know in practice MA is one of the more serious nanny states, with some privelidged classes. You also have to go through your local police for many permits, and while you may just consider that a slight inconvenience, it is most definately "restrictive" and not a free place.
The FID card is valid for a period of time, not for a specific instance. I think it's for 4 years, and costs $100. I'm not sure of the non-resident situation with FID cards.
(doesn't that defeat most of the purpose?) 