If Modern Massachusetts Gun Laws Existed in 1775, We Might Still Be British

Imagine if the people who make the laws today were in power when the folks of Massachusetts decided to pick a fight with the Brits back in 1775. Ol' King George would have rolled right over us while the colonists waited for approval of their FID and LTC applications.

The Cost of Delays at Lexington and Concord

The Battles of Lexington and Concord might have ended in an easy British victory if the Patriots had been delayed by having to submit to background checks before joining the American Revolutionary War.

Modern MA Firearm License Rules for Antique Weapons

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety, "In Massachusetts, 'antique firearms' (muzzleloaders and black powder weapons) that cannot use fixed ammunition generally do not require a firearms license to own."

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"However, under updated state gun laws, you do need a License to Carry (LTC) or Firearm Identification (FID) card to legally purchase or possess the actual ammunition and components (powder, caps, and balls)," the DPS said.

When British General Charles Grey and 4,000 of his men descended upon New Bedford and Fairhaven in 1778, in what has become known as Grey's Raid, would the brave men of the Fairhaven militia have been able to turn them away, or would they be hamstrung by gun control laws, considered to be some of the toughest in the nation?

The Associated Press Targets Black Powder Regulations

The Associated Press recently called for national regulations on black powder muskets, the type used by the Patriots to rout the British.

"A musket from 1776 can fire a lead ball at a velocity of around 1,000 feet per second," argued the AP. "Imagine what that can do to a human body. Yet under federal and most state laws, it's exempt from gun regulations."

Good thing Ben Franklin was in charge of the media back in 1776, and not the AP, or we'd all be drinking tea instead of Dunks!

Happy 250th, America!