Secure Firearm storage???
 

(Already posted this on rec.guns)

Hi,
I keep my boat in massachusetts waters and need to know the law
regarding secure storage on a boat.

Does anyone know what's required for both long guns and hand guns?

Is a locked wooden locker good enough?

Do I need trigger locks?

Can I leave guns on board "permanently" if they are properly stored?

Any help appreciated,
Thanks
Sean

Secure Firearm storage???
 

Given the gun-unfriendly nature of things in MA, I would contact the State
Police and not leave it to advice on the newsgroups.
Way too many liability concerns.
You might try the NRA website, but I would spend the quarter and call the
troopers.

Cliff

Secure Firearm storage???
 

Chief3mfc wrote:
Given the gun-unfriendly nature of things in MA, I would contact the State
Police and not leave it to advice on the newsgroups.
Way too many liability concerns.
You might try the NRA website, but I would spend the quarter and call the
troopers.

Cliff

I agree with Cliff. I'd also talk to the CG and local Marine Patrol.
Then I'd probably take the most restrictive advice from among the three.

dave

Secure Firearm storage???
 

"Sean" none wrote in message
...
(Already posted this on rec.guns)

Hi,
I keep my boat in massachusetts waters and need to know the law
regarding secure storage on a boat.

Does anyone know what's required for both long guns and hand guns?

Is a locked wooden locker good enough?

Do I need trigger locks?

Can I leave guns on board "permanently" if they are properly stored?

You need to call the SP and ask what the current regulations are.
I know that they are very restrictive - in particular with respect to
long guns.

I do know that trigger locks are mandatory as they are in CT
when in storage.

Later,

Tom

Secure Firearm storage???
 

On Thu, 07 Aug 2003 22:02:35 GMT, "Grumman-581"
wrote:

"Sean" wrote ...
snip-a-bunch-of-stuff

Makes me glad that I live in Texas...

....don't be too glib.
The same "angels" that now have me smoking outside my bar, in the
rain, are going to get bored. Your, and my, guns are next.

The problem with angels is that there is no open season.
They're not migratory.
noah



Courtesy of Lee Yeaton,
See the boats of rec.boats
www.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats

Secure Firearm storage???
 

Yea, just don't use your real name!

--


Keith
__
Bad spellers of the world UNTIE!
"Chief3mfc" wrote in message
...
Given the gun-unfriendly nature of things in MA, I would contact the State
Police and not leave it to advice on the newsgroups.
Way too many liability concerns.
You might try the NRA website, but I would spend the quarter and call the
troopers.

Cliff

Secure Firearm storage???
 

Yep... that's why I'm a life member of the NRA, even though I live in Texas.

To the original poster: Maybe you can find a metal storage box that's
lockable at a REAL army surplus store, if you can find such a thing. There's
one down in Galveston called Colonel Bubbies, but not much use unless you're
in that area.

--


Keith
__
Sea captains don't like crew cuts.
"noah" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 07 Aug 2003 22:02:35 GMT, "Grumman-581"
wrote:

"Sean" wrote ...
snip-a-bunch-of-stuff

Makes me glad that I live in Texas...

...don't be too glib.
The same "angels" that now have me smoking outside my bar, in the
rain, are going to get bored. Your, and my, guns are next.

The problem with angels is that there is no open season.
They're not migratory.
noah



Courtesy of Lee Yeaton,
See the boats of rec.boats
www.TheBayGuide.com/rec.boats

Secure Firearm storage???
 

On Fri, 8 Aug 2003 07:29:26 -0500, "Keith"
wrote:

To the original poster: Maybe you can find a metal storage box that's
lockable at a REAL army surplus store, if you can find such a thing. There's
one down in Galveston called Colonel Bubbies, but not much use unless you're
in that area.

Couple of good web sites:

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/

I get 85% commission so buy lotsa stuff!!!
Good luck...

--
Q

Secure Firearm storage???
 

On Thu, 07 Aug 2003 20:38:41 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
wrote:

This is the wrong place to be asking about the law. Call your state police.
If you were going to run into trouble with the law, you may as well ask the
gestapo, since they're your worst nightmare.

Boats are notoriously insecure. As far as storage, a wooden locker is not
going to withstand a crowbar attack, but for long guns it might be your only
choice. In that case, I'd go with both trigger locks and cable locks. Remove
the locks when you're using the boat. Head to Home Depot for strips of metal
to reinforce the cabinets, which can be done on the inside, and add a high
security hasp with padlock. Store ammo and magazines separately, perhaps in
a smaller storage box with the handguns.

For handguns, there are quick-access boxes which can be bolted to floors or
walls. I'd still trigger lock the guns when the boat's not in use. Better
yet, take home the handguns.

Take a look at some of these storage options - the smaller ones should be
adaptable to your boat:
http://www.dsmlawenforcement.com/firearm/

http://www.gunvault.com/

-Doug

Thanks for those links.

Yes, I could call the state police but I would expect a runaround and
in the end maybe not even get good info.

Not that Usenet is any more reliable but the beauty of Usenet is
someone may have already done all the legwork and be willing to share
the experience.

For the record, since mass is such a pathetic state, I hired an
attorney who specializes in gun law months ago to assist in my
application process. I've also put the question to him (he's on
vacation) but it never hurts to hear a first hand account from someone
who's been in the same position.

That's why I posted.

Thanks again for the advice.

Sean

Secure Firearm storage???
 

"Sean" none wrote in message
...


For the record, since mass is such a pathetic state, I hired an
attorney who specializes in gun law months ago to assist in my
application process. I've also put the question to him (he's on
vacation) but it never hurts to hear a first hand account from someone
who's been in the same position.

Attorney: Good idea. That was going to be my next suggestion - ask a lawyer
you'd trust to defend you if you inadvertently crossed any boundaries.

Secure Firearm storage???
 

Actually, there is a little book published basically for bikers that
outlines the gun laws in each state. You can find ads for it in American
Rifleman (one of the magazines from the NRA) or probably any biker related
magazine. I would imagine this would be helpful for cruisers.

--


Keith
__
If you love something, let it go free. If it doesn't come back, hunt it down
and kill it.
"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
"Sean" none wrote in message
...


For the record, since mass is such a pathetic state, I hired an
attorney who specializes in gun law months ago to assist in my
application process. I've also put the question to him (he's on
vacation) but it never hurts to hear a first hand account from someone
who's been in the same position.

Attorney: Good idea. That was going to be my next suggestion - ask a
lawyer
you'd trust to defend you if you inadvertently crossed any boundaries.

Secure Firearm storage???
 

Sean,

I used to live in Ma. but it's been around 10 years since I
had gotten my handgun permit renewed there. At least when I was
licensed there, the ONLY place you could leave your gun
unattended was in your house. i.e. If you had it locked in the
trunk of your car, someone stole the vehicle and then used the
gun in the commission of a crime, YOU were held responsible.
This at least applied to handguns, but I'm unsure about long guns.
One of the problems in Ma., at least when getting a permit, was
that the usage listed on the permit was at the discretion of the
local jurisdiction. This was a problem if you wanted to carry for
personal protection and the local chief of police would issue a
permit for target shooting. If the permit usage was listed as
target shooting, you were theoretically only allowed to carry your
handgun to and from the range.

I believe it was GOAL (Gun owners action league) which was
pushing for the usage to be listed as 'For Any Lawful Purpose'
which was a big help and a lot of jurisdictions agreed since
there wasn't a rash of vigilanteism or wild west shootouts that
the anti-gun crowd always predicts.

In summary, be VERY careful and get as much info as possible
before even considering a handgun on the boat! I also suggest
you check out GOAL's website as well as support them. They are
there to help gun owners of Ma. and I suspect will have the
info on long guns if you choose to go that route.

-Jim


Sean wrote:
(Already posted this on rec.guns)

Hi,
I keep my boat in massachusetts waters and need to know the law
regarding secure storage on a boat.

Does anyone know what's required for both long guns and hand guns?

Is a locked wooden locker good enough?

Do I need trigger locks?

Can I leave guns on board "permanently" if they are properly stored?

Any help appreciated,
Thanks
Sean

Secure Firearm storage???
 

Perhaps he should skip the handgun and carry what most gun "experts" agree
is the best thing for defense: a 12 gauge. If he has to list a purpose for
the thing, he can list duck hunting. Things could still get sticky if the
state doesn't allow him to have it out of the house if it's not duck season.
But, how often is his boat going to get tossed by the police???


Good suggestion. I know the lethal destruction and doom that a Remington 870
12GA can do with #00 Buckshot! I own one! One day at the local skeet range
at the wildlife game area, someone left a gallon milk jug sitting on a tree
stump. It was already peppered with shotgun shot. So anyway, I couldn't
resist the temptation, so I got a #00 buckshot round out of my case and
chambered it. Taking careful aim, I pulled the trigger and two things happend:

1) I almost broke my shoulder from the 3" magnum #00 buckshot shell! ...Ouch!

2) I totally destroyed the gallon milk jug. It blew into pieces all over the
place! (Yes, I picked up the remains of the jug and pieces of plastic and
threw them in the trash).

They say that for a shotgun, #00 buckshot is the equivalent of 8 or 9 rounds of
9mm bullets all hitting at the same time. The absolute, lethal,
be-all-to-end-all, firepower.

Butch Ammon

Secure Firearm storage???
 

"Butch Ammon" wrote in message
...
Perhaps he should skip the handgun and carry what most gun "experts"
agree
is the best thing for defense: a 12 gauge. If he has to list a purpose
for
the thing, he can list duck hunting. Things could still get sticky if the
state doesn't allow him to have it out of the house if it's not duck
season.
But, how often is his boat going to get tossed by the police???


Good suggestion. I know the lethal destruction and doom that a Remington
870
12GA can do with #00 Buckshot! I own one! One day at the local skeet
range
at the wildlife game area, someone left a gallon milk jug sitting on a
tree
stump. It was already peppered with shotgun shot. So anyway, I couldn't
resist the temptation, so I got a #00 buckshot round out of my case and
chambered it. Taking careful aim, I pulled the trigger and two things
happend:

1) I almost broke my shoulder from the 3" magnum #00 buckshot shell!
....Ouch!

2) I totally destroyed the gallon milk jug. It blew into pieces all over
the
place! (Yes, I picked up the remains of the jug and pieces of plastic and
threw them in the trash).

They say that for a shotgun, #00 buckshot is the equivalent of 8 or 9
rounds of
9mm bullets all hitting at the same time. The absolute, lethal,
be-all-to-end-all, firepower.

Butch Ammon

Not only that, but at least in theory, racking a shotgun eliminates one
question that needs to be dealt with at the split second when you're
wondering if you're really going to have to pull the trigger: Anyone who
hears the sound of a shotgun being loaded, and still attacks, is clearly out
of their mind.

Secure Firearm storage???
 

Perhaps he should skip the handgun and carry what most gun "experts" agree
is the best thing for defense: a 12 gauge.

A long barrelled shotgun might work very well at close quarters on deck, but in
the confines of most boat cabins that long barrell would be an impediment. What
good is a weapon 4 or 5-feet long in a cabin that's 10 feet wide? Two steps and
your target is closer than the muzzle. Oops.

Saw it off down to the stock, and when you go for the kill make sure you aim
*above* the waterline.

Or, boat without a firearm. Most folks do,
and if you're just doing recreational cruising in US waters it's a real stretch
to come up with a compelling reason to be armed. Still, it is your right to do
so and if you're so inclined- enjoy.

Secure Firearm storage???
 

On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 18:36:46 -0500, "Keith"
wrote:

Can you cite that specific Federal law? I'd like to read that one
completely.


My mistake. The law that states long guns must be stowed unloaded and
locked in a container when not in use on a boat is Massachusetts law
which obviously only applies to Mass. waters. It's Chapter 131 Section
63 of mass gun law according to my lawyer.

Sean