Today's story finds Captain Buzzkill participating in a Cub Scout Leader's Meeting, where the subject of having Scouts attend the Memorial Day ceremony at the town hall was broached. Part of the ceremony is a 21-gun salute fired by town veterans (3 volleys of 7 men). Some of these veterans are WWII veterans, some Korean, some Vietnam. Not sure if there's any Gulf War I vets.
Anyhoo, one of the other leaders commented about how it's a hoot to see the WWII vets offering "shells" (meaning spent brass) to the kids after the salute.
Well, Captain Buzzkill would have none of that - you see, according to MA state law, that's a felony:
Residents must have an FID in order to purchase, possess, or transport a rifle or shotgun that is not a large-capacity gun; to purchase or possess ammunition or component parts of ammunition; and to purchase or possess defense sprays.
Emphasis from Captain Buzzkill. The State of MA requires a permit to simply possess as much as a single piece of brass, as it is considered a "component part of ammunition".
Captain Buzzkill was polite enough to wait until after the meeting to quietly mention to the person who had volunteered the information to inform him that he was describing a felony. The response was denial in its most pure form: "It's not illegal, they're blanks". When Captain Buzzkill gently informed him that it didn't matter, that even a blank was considered "component part of ammunition", the tactic was then switched to "but this ammo dates back to WWI!".
Captain Buzzkill had to admit that he didn't agree with the law; that he thought the law was an ass in this case; but that it was, in fact, the law.
He was then regaled by the person that "we had guns growing up in Maine, and the only law against them was you couldn't use the 64-round banana clip".
And yes, Captain Buzzkill did refrain from rolling his eyes *or* turning into the "magazine-not-clip" Nazi...
That is all...
15 comments:
That is the problem with this gutless state. . . He is right I think. Some smart ass can cause a stink if the kid has a spent shell. . . .
Another step down that slippery slope. We really need to wake up around here. . ..
Captain Buzzkill really knows how to stop a party. I'll bet dollars to donuts he was the same state official who wanted Rev. War reenactors to keep trigger locks on their muskets during an Independence Day parade in Lexington. Hmph.
The only way I could legally cross the border into Mass. would be to rent a car. I would never be able to find every piece of spent brass in the nooks and crannies of my trunk or backseat. I've even found them under my windshield wipers. Those pesky things end up in the funniest places. It's just sad that they could have me end up in jail as a convicted felon. That's just not right.
Which brings up a good point. What about those key chains that have an inert round on them?
Gary
You need a minimum of an FID to own one. It says so right on the basket at Four Seasons...
It's fucking stupid, but it's the law...
Blank rifle brass is NOT a component of ammunition; if you look at it, the shell is formed differently. It cannot be reloaded, since it is extended and crimped. I have a bunch of .308 blanks at home, and they cannot be reloaded.
Gary: Keychains usually have a hole drilled through the brass, or a permanently attached hook through the primer.
Thus they're unsuitable for use as ammunition and would most likely (having not read the exact wording of the law) be exempt.
The cynic in me says you should have let them do it, then use the ruckus caused by it to get the state laws overturned.
Unfortunately, that would mean some poor boyscout would end up in jail, possibly along with the veterans, which is what keeps me from suggesting it seriously.
That just sucks.
That's it. It's over. We're down to 49 states. MA is dead to me.
tweaker
I love that I have to flash my permit to buy a keg of powder at the shop...then drive across the street to the gas station, and fill up my tank with 20 gallons of highly flamable liquid without so much as SEEING a living person.
Or better yet, I can't buy lead balls for a black powder gun, but I could buy steel ball berrings for, well whatever without a permit.
DUMB DUMB DUMB
On a side note, I'll also point out the invasivness of spent ammo. I was just dipping into my range bag for the tool kit in there, and out came a 9mm Luger brass. A quick inspection found that it had the dimple from a Glock firing pin.
I neither own a 9mm nor a Glock....and I can't recall the last time I shot on the line with one, yet there it was. If you were non licenced there's your felony
Hell, I've come out of Bob's with .22LR brass stuck in the treads of my boots...
The guy who collected the casings gave one to Geoff last night, so shhhhhh! we have one!
I've got it hidden. he wanted to take it to school and show it to people, but he'd so get expelled for having it the way they act with him. He got sent to the principal's office today because he "threatened" to swallow a straightened out paper clip.
they are afraid he is "self injurious" and suicidal.
dude just saw a tv program on freakshows and sword swallowers.
duh much?
I blogged today and linked to this entry. Just so ya know.
:-)
Your secret is safe with Captain Buzzkill.
Part of me wishes that the good Cap'n had made an appearance last night, armed with a printout of the applicable section of MA General Laws.
Might have woken a few sheep up as to how far down the rabbit hole this frikkin' state has gone.
Nah. Last night wasn't the time nor the place. It's a good thing only the mild-mannered Bat Boy showed up...
Captain,
Your assessment of Mass. Gen. Laws has been validated in Winchendon
http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=3975
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