New guy here

Chris_B said:
Double action (DA)means that it's like a cap gun- you pull the trigger, the hammer is drawn back and released. Single action (SA) means you cock the hammer with your thumb, like an old west revolver. An automatic pistol (it means "automatic loading", not "fires like a machine gun") will cock the hammer after it is fired regardless of DA or SA triggers, by means of it's slide setting the hammer on recoil
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I think this needs to be refined a little. In a semi-auto handgun you can have...

DAO (Double Action Only)
These can not be cocked for a single action shot, nor does firing the handgun or racking the slide cock it. Each trigger pull draws the hammer back and then drops it to fire the round.

SA (Single Action)
These pistols must first be cocked by drawing back the hammer or racking the slide. Each trigger pull does one thing...drop the hammer to fire the gun.

SA/DA (Single Action/Double Action)
These pistols typically fire the first round in a double-action mode, then the hammer is cocked by the motion of the slide making subsequent trigger pulls single-action. Most of these guns can be cocked manually or by cycling the slide to allow the first round to be fired single-action.

Striker fired
These guns (normally) don't have hammers so there is no way to manually cock it for a single-action shot. When the slide is cycled or a round is fired, these pistols are partially cocked to make the trigger pull lighter. Though most people don't consider these DAO guns.

Please keep in mind that I'm speaking in generalities. There is always an exception to the rule and I know if I made an error here, there will be plenty of volunteers to point out my mistakes. :rolleyes:

As far as abbreviations, take a look at the TFL Library Misc. Acronyms, TFL Firearms Related Terms and Acronyms, and Sniper Country Compendium of Terminology.

For a general source of gun information, look at The Firing Line Library.

Welcome to TFL.

Fly
 
Chris B wrote:
I believe that most towns and cities in MA are going to require- or have as an option that fulfills a requirement- that you become a member of a club before they will issue a pistol permit
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Unless things have changed in the three years since I left the state, this was not the case anywhere I lived.

Is it an actual regulation where you live?
 
I believe that most towns and cities in MA are going to require- or have as an option that fulfills a requirement- that you become a member of a club before they will issue a pistol permit

Unless things have changed in the three years since I left the state, this was not the case anywhere I lived.

Is it an actual regulation where you live?
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I am a current resident of Boston MA and have lived within sight of Boston for 37 years

Yes, this is a regulation where I live. As I said, I believe this to be so in other communities; either it is now or is going to be soon

1) as a requirement for a pistol permit or

2) as an option that fulfills a requirement for that pistol permit.

I did not say "here is the law for every town in MA"

In Boston, to get a pistol permit currently you must first become a member of a club and take their safety course. Then you must take a dedicated pistol safety course by a qualified and licensed instructor. You must pass the written and physical (ie: shooting, but this one is cake) tests. Then you go apply for the permit assuming you have done all that and spent all that money to get this far. You pay another fee. They tell you when to go qualify on the BPD range, you don't really have a choice of when. Then you must go to the BPD's range at Moon Island and qualify on the BPD's outdoor range, with their qualified instructor, which is also not hard, but for some it is intimidating. I found everyone at Moon Island to be pleasant, courteous, supportive and friendly myself. They have some really sweet old service revolvers there BTW. I had a ball the day I went. They qualify you (or fail you)

Then they approve or deny your application

Now, this may be the hardest in the state; I don't know. As you know, Boston sets the miserable tone around here. But I feel confident that if I can get my permit here I can do it anywhere.

Now, like I say, even if it is not a requirement for other towns and cities, it may be an option that does fulfill a requirement, ie: if you're a member of a club, you may not have to do X or Y to fulfill the safety class requirement if that's what the town wants. You may recall that in the Commiewealth of Massachusetts, the Police Chief of each town is the final arbiter for a permit, and sets up his own regulations and hoops you jump through even though you get a license through the Commiewealth
 
Speaking of hoops to jump through, my friend's dad (the one with the 12 gauge and .22 revolver I talked about) had quite a bit of trouble getting his license. Apparently our chief of police needs a written paper saying what we will be using our license for. As far as I knew, with a clean record you can't have your rights limited, can you? He can't carry in any way at all, can't have a firearm in his car/house unless it is being transported/locked up with ammo locked up in a separate spot. I've been told the way around this is to say you want the license for all lawful purposes. Any ideas how to get full usage of the license?

And to Chris B, I'm a little confused on the terminology. What is the difference between a permit, license, and FID card in Massachusetts?
 
"All lawful purposes" is what I put down. It's not a way around it so much, it's what I was told by both my instructors was the proper "legal-speak" to use for "there's no legal reason to deny my right"

"Pistol Permit" and "License to Carry", the same thing, it's interchangeable to me, I just find it physically easier to quickly type "pistol permit" :) . Used to just be called an "LTC" for License to Carry but the term doesn't seem used much now

My license reads "Class A Large Capacity License to Carry Firearms" (you want to get the Class A large cap license BTW). However- in MA, there's restrictions from place to place on the whim of the Chief of the local 5-0. For instance, in Boston they won't issue me a license to carry concealed. It's "sport/target- no concealed carry" even though it's Class A high cap, which used to mean concealed carry. I'm told I need to talk to a lawyer to get that changed to concealed carry- they say I "have no need" to carry concealed becasue I don't have a risky a job for instance- lawyer, cab driver, etc- that makes it "needed" to them. Which is BS, you should see the violent crime map in a 5 mile radius of where I am compared to let's say Dover. The weird part is I know some cops, and they didn't even notice the 'sport/target' restriction. To them Class A is Class A but I won't play that game, it was just amusing that they didn't know that restriction existed. I don't know what the real issue is with the restriction, it's not like somebody from Falmouth with that permit can't carry concealed when they visit Boston...

FID is Firearms Identification card. If you want to buy a pistol, you can forget it if you have only an FID. It's almost the same PITA to get the pistol permit (or LTC) so don't bother with the FID. Ammo, shotguns, rifles pretty much sums that up

The LTC allows purchase of pistols as well as ammo rifles and shotguns- provided of course- just like the FID- those things are legal in MA, and there's a raft of ones that aren't, plus of course it doesn't license you for things like machine guns, although those are possible too. No suppressors in MA but believe it or not, they can be had in other states

You can also get a Curio and Relic license, which is a type of Federal firearms license. I wouldn't worry about that too much at first, but it can allow you to purchase "Curio and Relic" firearms. For instance, my P.38 from 1944 is a "C&R" firearm in MA, I needed a C&R license. There's rules and regulations, etc with that, and the BATFE issues it

MA has done some simply illegal things with FIDs and LTCs but I don't want to go there
 
Angdv1089, welcome to TFL and enjoy. As for "your" gun, research, look, feel, shoot several till the little light bulb goes on, you'll know when it's the right one, Hope your permit doesn't take forever, buy the way my signature tells you how to carry.;) ( P S ) On ammo encoding, it's automatic when it leaves the end of the barrel.
 
So with a LTC you can buy rifles, shotguns, and any ammo?
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So long as it's legal, yes

Here's an interesting link. Not quite your neck of the woods, and the website's, um, curiously designed. But Four Seasons has been good to me, and they have a page on "handguns you can't buy in MA"

http://www.fsguns.com/fsg_information.html

You'll also hear some stuff about rifles you can't buy- like the M1, because it holds 8 rounds. Hogwash. I have had experts, whom I like and respect tell me the same thing. It's still hogwash
 
Can't buy an M1? I saw someone at the range in my town last year with one. Loudest rifle I've ever heard and the best looking. Is eight too many rounds to have in a rifle?
 
I Massachusetts you must have a LTC-A to possess a semi-automatic rifle with a large-capacity feeding device (magazine or equivalent). "Large-capacity" is defined as greater than ten rounds.

The Chief of Police in each municipality has near-total discretion in issuing LTCs (or not). FIDs are shall-issue, but do not cover handguns or large-capacity firearms.
 
Mass

the one thing you have not told him is to contact GOAL 508-393-5333 ext 201 ask for nancy.she can give you the clubs near you.
get a used Ruger 22,they last a life time and you know where the factory is.
If we dont buy American we are not going to have any gun companies. I have 2 target Rugers 30 yrs old,stay away from the 40,not that its bad only it has to operate at high pressure.I do admit I am partial to 1911,as it worked for me.also mod 10 bull S&W.to many cartriges helps to confuse new people.
with all the Mass gun owners you cant get rid of the scumbags in politics.and I am sure some of you voted for patrick.
there are several clubs in the cape cod area.
I got out in 2000.best thing I did.90 acres and 4 deer in freezer and the garden is going in now.about an acre.had abou 20 deer in back of garage two nights ago.
I can shoot right out my front door.but shoot in back of garage.
buy land now for future as taxes are low. :rolleyes::eek::D:D
 
Can't buy an M1? I saw someone at the range in my town last year with one. Loudest rifle I've ever heard and the best looking. Is eight too many rounds to have in a rifle?
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Of course you can buy an M1 in MA. I own one. I've had experts tell me I can't have an M1 even if I have a Class A but that doeesn't prove a thing. Those 'experts' are completely wrong on that point; I certainly can buy an M1 in MA, as a matter of fact I own an M1 made in 1944. I see them for sale at most gun stores I walk into in MA, too

Good info in the above posts, BTW :)
 
In Massachusetts you must have a LTC-A to possess a semi-automatic rifle with a large-capacity feeding device (magazine or equivalent). "Large-capacity" is defined as greater than ten rounds.
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I would like to correct the mis-information I posted earlier. Massachusetts does in fact allow the holder of a LTC-B to possess large-capacity semi-automatic rifles and shotguns. The confusion, shared by many besides me, comes from the terminology used in the law - Massachusetts uses the term "firearm" to mean handgun, so the law saying that you must have a LTC-A to possess a "high-capacity firearm" actually means a high-capacity handgun. The section of the statute listing what the LTC-B covers clarifies this later, specifically indicating that high-cap long guns are OK, but it's easy to miss.

Our legislators must stay up at night figuring out new ways to make our gun laws as confusing as possible.
 
Another New Guy - Welcome!

Massachusetts must be the most restrictive of any state that pretends to issue permits. Below is a good link for summary info on your gun laws. Good luck! http://www.usacarry.com/massachusetts_concealed_carry_permit_information.html

Have you had your firearms class yet? Looking for an instructor, i'd want to make sure how many guns you will train with/shoot at the live fire. You may get exposure to one caliber you like more than anything else. It's a matter of personal preference - anything above .380 is pretty effective for Home Defense (HD).

So then, what to buy? Do you like stainless, blued, or polymer? Do you want semi or revolver? Do aesthetics matter at all?

Somebody posted a picture of a Stoeger Cougar - i bought a Beretta Cougar in 9mm, same gun but made in Italy by Beretta - and i love it. It's basically a scaled down model 92, with decocking lever/safety that disengages the firing pin by rotating it 90 degrees. It simply can't fire in safe mode, and you can carry with one in the chamber with a high degree of confidence in that fact. (Of course, mechanical safety devices can fail, and there is no substitute for practicing safe firearms handling at all times). Sorry, the lawyers made me say that.

The 9mm is a very easy caliber to shoot, and shoot well, and shoot often. Until november, ammo was plentiful and cheap. It's still around but getting scarcer, so i buy it whenever i see it nowdays. My favorite fun gun is my .357 revolver, but i'd never want a revolver for HD or SD, despite the power, because i always want my high capacity mag and a spare ready to go. I recommend a simple rule - never let your gun go hungry...

I've never shot a .40, or 10mm, tho some folks love them. Ammo is harder to find simply because the caliber is less popular.

For many folks, a .45 is the only all-purpose handgun. It shoots soft and straight, hits hard and makes big holes, and the classic 1911 is probably the most elegant of all handgun design. Taurus now has a model 845 that is about in your price range, capacity of 13+1, SA/DA. They claim it is the best duty gun on the market, meaning it's designed for abuse and use and dependability above all.

Hope this is sort of helpful. Welcome to our passion.
 
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