Why It Matters: In July of 2024, Massachusetts passed a new omnibus gun law which consisted of 116-pages of confusing regulations on firearm ownership and possession in the Commonwealth. In response, citizen groups attempted to bring the new law to the 2026 general ballot with a petition process. However, on October 2nd, the Governor signed an Emergency Preamble to make the law take effect immediately. Due to the overlapping and confusing nature of these laws, many sportsmen and women have been left confused as to what they can and cannot possess as their favored hunting firearm for the upcoming season.
Highlights:
- Nonresident hunters cannot use semi-automatic firearms of any type.
- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has identified semi-automatic shotguns as the top shipped style of shotgun to Massachusetts in 2024.
- Massachusetts fall turkey season has started, and small game season starts in the coming weeks.
- HB 4885 has a confusing patchwork of regulations which muddy the waters for who and what is now allowed in the Commonwealth.
Thanks to the efforts of Co-Chair of the Massachusetts Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, Senator Durant’s office, the Administration has clarified the impact of these new laws as it relates to non-resident hunters. As fall turkey season started on October 7th for much of the Commonwealth and small game season starts in the coming weeks, it is important to make sure nonresident hunters know what firearms are now legal to possess for hunting.
Section 129c paragraph J states : “A nonresident who is at least 18 years of age may possess rifles and shotguns that are not large capacity or semi-automatic and ammunition therefor: (i) to hunt during hunting season with a nonresident hunting license or a hunting license or permit lawfully issued from their state of residence, which has substantially similar requirements to those in section 11 of chapter 131, as determined by the colonel of the state police pursuant to subsection (l)…”
This section allows for the possession of long guns for the purpose of hunting if the individual has a nonresident hunting license from the Commonwealth and the firearm is not semi-automatic or “large capacity.”
Although the Commonwealth is now allowing nonresidents to continue to hunt, banning semi-automatic firearms, particularly shotguns, may have a significant impact on the participation of hunters this season and for future conservation. Thanks to the NSSF, numbers show that 2024 shipments of semi-automatic shotguns to the Commonwealth were 47.5% of all shotgun types, with the balance being spread across pump, over/under, and other styles. For comparison, in 2023, semi-automatic shotguns made up 30% of shotgun types shipped into the Commonwealth. This growth shows the popularity this style of shotgun has amongst regional sportsmen and women.
Due to these regulations and limitations, Massachusetts will likely harm conservation funding through the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF) by potentially decreasing future out-of-state hunting license purchases and negatively impacting the sales of commonly used and semi-automatic firearms. License sales and excise taxes on firearm and ammunition sales are two of the three pillars of the ASCF which has restored and conserved fish and wildlife species and their habitats all across the nation.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) would like to thank the Massachusetts Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs and Members for helping navigate and keeping an eye on this confusing patchwork of laws. CSF will continue to work on behalf of sportsmen and women to allow them to enjoy their traditional hunting and sporting activities in the Commonwealth.
