When to buy handgun?

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I live in Virginia, a pretty good state to be in to buy a handgun as far as laws go. However I might be moving soon to a state with stricter gun laws, possibly to California or Mass. Is it better to buy a handgun now while I am still in VA and then move? Will it make any diference if I buy the gun in VA now and transport it to the new state, or wait and buy it when I am a new resident there?

I am thinking of a Smith and Wesson 340pd or Kahr PM9 if it makes any difference.

Thanks
 
Buy it now. Then buy several more that you know are banned in Mass and Cali. Then spend the rest of your moving money on a couple of 'assault rifles' that are banned in Mass/Cali.

Then stay put.:D
 
If you move to MA, you need to visit a gun shop and find out about your local police chief before you move, so that you don't end up living in a place where your carry permit doesn't allow you to carry.

You need to buy just about all of your handguns before you get here.

Not sure about hi-caps and "assault weapons" - probably the same.

Rifles and shotguns are not an issue. They are available, registered, and require an FID, but there are no special restrictions. Buy them now or buy them later.

You need a Class "A" license (hi-cap/concealed carry) just to POSSESS a high-cap pistol OR MAG or "assault weapon."

You need an FID just to possess any firearm in MA, but if you just moved in, possession INSIDE YOUR HOUSE is legal for 60 days. Best apply for the FID or permit or both immediately. The permit could easily take two months, although usually a little less once you have submitted ALL the paperwork.

Again, you must consult people in the actual town in which you plan to live to find out about that particular police chief.

P.S. Following Stand_Watie's advice is probably the best move.

P. P. S. You can actually buy a 340PD in MA, so if you're short on cash, that can wait.
 
Thanks -

"You need to buy just about all of your handguns before you get here."

"You can actually buy a 340PD in MA, so if you're short on cash, that can wait."

- still confused. Also what's an FID?

Not worried about the carry issue. I assume the new state carry permit issue would be the same regardless of where/when I get the gun.

I guess my question is what are the benefits of buying a gun while in CA/MA vs bringing an already owned gun from out of state. Is it easier to bring a gun in to the state than to buy one there, as far as laws go?

*another example - can I bring a gun into CA (when moving to CA) that has not passed the CA "drop test"? Or would that gun be banned at the state line regardless of ownership?
 
- still confused. Also what's an FID?
Click to expand...

The little permission slip you must get in order to be allowed to own one .22LR cartridge.

It's a state gun-owner's permit, kinda like the FOID in IL.
 
If you move to MA you will have to jump through some hoops to get a Class A.

If gun ownership is important to you, you will need to do some homework before
you decide what town to live in. Some police chiefs are fine with LTC's, many are
not. It gets worse the closer you get to Stalingrad - uh, I mean Boston.

If you get a gun now, make sure it is "allowed" to be brought into MA. The state
has gone after handguns with 'consumer protection' laws. If the gun you own does
not reside on "the list" then it is not legal to own.

Yes, the state is brutal.

The good news is, you CAN buy a kalishniclone :) (sp?)

www.fsguns.com is a site for four seasons' firearms in woburn. I have no
affiliation with them, other then I buy all my stuff there. It is as good a place
as any to start.

If you do come to MA, all I can say is: "Welcome, Comrade!"

-Phil
 
There are very few handguns that you can buy in MA from a dealer. Most current S&W's, most current Rugers. Some others. Used-gun market is limited.

You can bring what you have when you move here, and sixty days after you move here you are a felon unless you have a Firearms ID Card or a carry permit. And, as pointed out, that is for one .22LR cartridge, or cartridge case, for that matter.

If you want anything other than what is on the AG's list, or is already here and for sale where you can find it, you'd better bring it with you. And don't let it out of the house until you have your permit. And lock it up. That's the law.

MA is not that bad for shooters, IFF you live in the right town, AND you already own all the handguns you want. Fail either of the preceding, and you might as well be in Hawaii, or DC.
 
If you get a gun now, make sure it is "allowed" to be brought into MA. The state
has gone after handguns with 'consumer protection' laws. If the gun you own does
not reside on "the list" then it is not legal to own.
Click to expand...

This is not true. What is not legal is for a dealer to sell such a gun, unless it was already in the state when the "law" became effective and the dealer can prove it with the paperwork that the AG considers proof. There are still up for sale by dealers some used guns that are not on the list. Guns may be sold privately in FTF transfers between permit holders, and the sale (as in all private sales) must be reported on an FA-10.

There are huge numbers of guns legally in MA which are not on the list. Your problem is that they are not for sale, and if they were, you probably wouldn't know about it.
 
JUST MOVE FURTHER NORTH!!!

I live about 3 hours northwest of Stalingrad (The free metropolis formerly known as Boston, P.D.R. of Mao-tse-chusetts)
in the green mountains of Vermont, where we don't split hairs on what makes a firearm a "dangerous" firearm...

No permit needed to carry concealed or otherwise...
Bring all you want, buy all you want.

When you ask the cops, they tell you they prefer it be concealed because it scares the tourists from the states where that kind of thing is illegal...

God, I love living here...

jim
 
The little permission slip you must get in order to be allowed to own one .22LR cartridge.

It's a state gun-owner's permit, kinda like the FOID in IL.
Click to expand...

Cuba has a similar system I believe. If that's not telling, I don't know what is.
 
>>This is not true. What is not legal is for a dealer to sell such a gun, ....[snip]

I stand corrected. Again.

The executive summary for MA is: "If guns and shooting are REALLY important to you, don't move here."

Before I get scorched for being a Massachusetts liberal (which I'm not, and if you doubt that see: http://home.comcast.net/~fish2xs/todayscommentary ), I will say that while shooting IS important to me, it is not everything to me. There is a good body of pro-2A people here, but it is an uphill battle.

There is a decent, abeit restricted for no good reason, selection of hand guns and long guns you can buy in MA. Not as good as say Texas, but again, as long as it goes bang - I'm happy.

Best of luck in your choice. If you come to MA, the guys at 4 seasons are VERY helpful.
 
If you seriously may be moving to Mass:

Look at www.goal.org for all the basic info you need about MA gun laws.

Call them and they will give the straight-up skinny on what you can and cannot do if you have more questions.

MA laws are confusing, even to people on this board.
1. There are no "banned" guns. Any handguns you legally buy in another state, can be owned in MA.
2. There are MANY guns that you cannot BUY from a dealer in MA.
3. If you DO move here, buy four extra handguns and bring them with you. MA residents will be happy to buy them from you. You can make some money, and the MA residents will be grateful. You can sell up to 4 guns privately per year.
4. You DO NOT need to register the guns you bring in with you, depsite what the MA.gov people will tell you if you call them. Any guns you buy while living in MA DO need to be registered.
5. Speak with the CLEO of the prospective town you may move to. It is up to the Chief if you will or will not get a CCW.
6. Non-MA-Compliant handguns can be bought and sold, but are done privately. FFL's cannot sell a non-compliant handgun to a MA resident.
7. FID is a Firearms Identification Card. LTC is Licence to Carry.
 
Check the laws of the state that you intend on moving to for what you can and can't bring into that state. Your best bet is to buy your guns here in Va. as they are available here and import them with you to the new state if possible.
 
You can bring any handgun you own into Calif. but you must register them within 60 days. You would need to fill out and submit a Report of Handgun Ownership, along with a $14.00 fee per gun, to the Department of Justice.

Don't even think about bringing an assualt rifle into the state. If it wasn't registered with the DOJ before 1-1-01 you can't register it. I belive it's a felony to have an unregistered assualt rifle.
 
You know there's 47 other states you could move to, about 40 of which have better gun laws. :) Like Texas, Vermont, Oklahoma, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, etc..... even Florida.
 
My advice-

Don't move. If you must move, move to a free state. If you must move to one of those states, I'd choose California. It's worse than, say, Texas but not nearly as bad as Massachusetts. You can bring anything you own as long as it's not an AW and you register it. You will have to get a Handgun Safety Certificate in order to purchase handguns when you're here, so you might buy the 340 before you leave. You'll probably want to get one eventually anyway.
 
Neither CA nor MA bears more than a superficial resemblance to the United States, and both have their problems vis-a-vis firearms possession and use. It is probably a lot easier to buy a long arm in CA, if it isn't an "AW." However, it is still legal to own, buy and sell "AW's" that are already in MA, if you have a high-cap license, which, BTW, is shall issue. Furthermore, the high-cap license is a CCW, also (called a Class "A" under the new law). The problem with MA is that the limitations on the CCW are at the discretion of the Chief of Police. Most are now issuing "for all lawful purposes," but for sure some are not.

Net result: MA has registration of ALL firearms purchased in MA, and requires an FID for possession of any. In most municipalities, it is MUCH easier to get a CCW in MA than in CA, unless I have been hearing wrong about CA. "AW's" are still legal in MA.
 
Thanks everyone who replied. I think I will try to puchase before moving.

Thanks Chipperman - that's the info I was looking for. Strange how

"You DO NOT need to register the guns you bring in with you, depsite what the MA.gov people will tell you if you call them. Any guns you buy while living in MA DO need to be registered."

the laws can be so dependent on translation.

As usual there's written law, and applied law. :scrutiny:
 
I moved to Illinois from Virginia, and didn't even know I was violating the laws here about having to have a FOID card, even to just transport an empty gun.:banghead:
 
Why not travel a few miles further north to southern NewHampshire or Vermont to enjoy a gun friendly environment? Life is too short to put up with needless stupidity...........Essex
 
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