Firearms Restrictions
Handgun Roster & Sales
Last updated December 28, 2025
Learn about the Massachusetts handgun rosters and the AG regulations that restrict what can be sold in Massachusetts.
Introduction
A handgun needs to satisfy two independent systems for a dealer to be able to sell it in Massachusetts. The firearms roster system and the Attorney General's handgun sales regulations. A handgun model that is on the approved firearms roster doesn't necessarily mean it passes the AG's regulations.
It's important to note that the firearms rosters and the AG regulations are NOT a ban on possession. Owning, transferring or purchasing firearms that are not on the roster or adhere to the AG regulations is not illegal for Massachusetts LTC holders. They are restrictions on what a firearms dealer can sell or transfer to you. Firearms that are not on the rosters can be obtained through private sales and transfers or by dealers who are willing and able to do a "frame transfer", which will be explained further down this page.
Handgun rosters
The statutory foundation of the handgun roster system comes from M.G.L c. 140 § 123(o)-(p), which sets the safety tests and standards that a firearm must meet in order to be sold by a dealer, and M.G.L c. 140 § 131.75, which authorizes the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPPS), with the advice of the Firearm Control Advisory Board (FCAB), to publish a roster of approved firearms for sale that adhere to the safety standards, along with separate rosters of firearms for formal target shooting and Olympic shooting competitons.
The safety standards
To summarize the safety standards, a dealer may not sell to consumers any firearm that fits any of the following criteria:
- It is made of weak or low-quality metals unless 3 samples pass a 600-round reliability test with no cracks or breaks in operating parts and no more than 6 malfunctions. Weak or low-quality metals is determined by whether the frame, barrel, slide, cylinder or breechblock is made from:
- metal melting under 900°F, or
- metal with a tensile strength under 55,000 psi, or
- powdered metal under 7.5 g/cc density
- It is prone to accidental discharges, tested by having 5 samples of a model dropped from 1 meter onto concrete in 6 orientations to see if any discharges occur.
- It is prone to firing more than once per trigger pull or exploding when done so
- It has a barrel under 3 inches and does not include a written accuracy disclosure to the buyer.
Exemptions
The safety standards outlined above do not apply to the following firearms:
- Firearms lawfully owned or possessed in Massachusetts on or before October 21, 1998
- Stun guns
- Firearms on the formal target shooting and Olympic shooting competition rosters
Citations
501 CMR 7.00 - Approved Weapon Rosters
Frame transfers
A frame transfer is when only the serialized frame or receiver of a firearm is transferred through a dealer to a consumer, rather than a complete, fully-assembled firearm. This is a method MA LTC holders sometimes use to obtain handgun models that are difficult to obtain from a standard dealer sale, due to not being on the handgun roster. The process goes as follows:
- A dealer sells a serialized handgun frame or receiver only, with the remaining components sometimes transferred by a different dealer.
- The purchaser later assembles the firearm and registers the firearm on the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal within 7 days of assembling.
Frame transfer legality
Because the passage of Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024 expanded the definition of a "firearm" to include frames and receivers, this called into question the legality of frame transfers, since "firearms" are subject to safety standards, tests and roster placement, which a frame cannot be traditionally tested for. Although there is currently no formal guidance addressing handgun frame transfers, FCAB meeting minutes from April 2025 note that board counsel suggested frames should be analyzed similarly to long guns and therefore may not need to appear on the handgun roster. This position has not been adopted as binding statewide guidance, but many in the community have taken this as the "go ahead" signal.
Dealer limitations
Not every gun shop in MA is willing or able to conduct frame transfers. One reason may be because of the lack of formal guidance on their legality. Another is federal licensing structure. Most storefront dealers hold a Type 01 FFL. These dealers generally do not convert complete firearms into new frame-only products for resale, because the ATF considers that activity manufacturing, which requires a Type 07 FFL. As a result, frame-only inventory is typically obtained directly from manufacturers or from dealers licensed as manufacturers.
Citations
FCAB April 2025 Meeting Minutes
AG handgun sales regulations
In addition to the handgun roster system, Massachusetts firearms dealers must also comply with the Attorney General’s consumer-protection regulations governing handgun sales.
The Massachusetts Attorney General issues handgun sales regulations under the authority of M.G.L. c. 93A §2(c). These rules are codified in 940 CMR 16.00 and define certain handgun sales practices as “unfair or deceptive acts or practices.” A handgun that violates 940 CMR 16.00 is not “illegal to possess”, but selling it is treated as a consumer-fraud violation, exposing the dealer to civil penalties, enforcement actions, license loss, and injunctions. The regulation also explicitly states that it is designed to supplement existing statutes and regulations, not replace them.
The AG standards
Several AG rules largely repeat statutory safety concepts that already appear in M.G.L. c. 140 §123, which is used by the roster system, but the AG enforces them through consumer-fraud authority, not firearms licensing law. 940 CMR 16.00 goes beyond Chapter 140 by adding entirely new firearm and dealer obligations. These include the following:
- A mandatory child-proofing method for firearms, such as a 10lb trigger pull
- Load indicator or magazine disconnect requirements
- Tamper-resistant serial number placement
- Mandatory safety warnings and in-store demonstrations
- Limited exemptions for handguns previously sold at retail before certain enforcement dates
How this affected Glocks
There has historically been a lot of confusion in the community concerning the sale of Glocks. Many have heard that Glocks are "illegal" or are confused about why Glocks are listed on the approved firearms rosters but are not typically sold as a complete firearm by many gun shops in Massachusetts.
The reality is that Glocks have passed the safety standards required to be listed on the handgun roster, but they fail to adhere to the Attorney General's handgun sales regulations. According to the AG, Glocks lack a proper load indicator or magazine disconnect and are in violation of the AG regulations, and therefore may not be sold by dealers.
Instead of modifying their design, Glock ceased in-state sales. Again, Glocks are not illegal to own or possess by LTC holders, but they require other means to obtain, such as a private sale or frame transfer.