Gun rights should cross state lines

[pony up]

Originally Posted by Snipersnest

You don't have to prove a need to be issued an LTC in Mass. You're required to take and pass a course in order to apply for one, and out of staters can apply for a non-resident license as well. As long as you're licensed in your home state and are participating in a sanctioned shoot, or traveling through you don't need a Mass. license. The one year mandatory (which was not supposed to be plea bargained away) has never been utilized in the courts I was involved with, and for some strange reason all those signs at the borders of Mass. declaring a one year mandatory have been removed. So there!

Good to hear and I hope you are correct and they are indeed changing. I am not trying to start an internet pissing contest just saying that for my needs the Feds are, at this point, where I need to be while some states are not. I believe it should be a state licensing issue but while there are some states that would prefer to be protection free zones there is a lot of work for interested citizens to do, Mass. among them.

[Snipersnest]

Up. The chief of police is the issuing authority for LTC's. The problem is each chief has his/her little fiefdom and does things their way. Contrary to what the statute reads, some chiefs add things to the requirements, such as you must qualify every renewal, you must belong to a gun club, some will only issue a Class B and if you're a "good boy" they might bump you up to a class A, when you renew in 5 years. The state recommends the license be issued for all lawful purposes and some chiefs will only issue for target and hunting or sporting purposes. Sporting purposes?? Does that mean for golfers, ball players, etc.? I handled licensing for my department and our chief although being on the left of center, was surprisingly very liberal when it came to issuing licenses. The executive office of public safety has warned the chiefs to comply with written statute or they could lose the authority to issue licenses to the state police. The EOPS has an approved list of firearms which conflicts with the anti-gun Harshbarger who was the attorney general who came up with his own list. He has since been prosecuted and admitted that what he did was illegal, but it's still on the books. Massachusetts........the name says it all!