Massachusetts
Permanent URL for this collectionhttps://dspace.firearmsresearchcenter.org/id/frc0001/4129
Massachusetts
This jurisdictional hub aggregates FRC holdings related to Massachusetts. It supports research on the state’s firearms history, technology, law, policy, and culture from the colonial and provincial periods through statehood to the present.
- Legal sources: statutes and session laws, administrative code, attorney general opinions, appellate decisions, and select municipal ordinances.
- Historical materials: newspapers, photographs, maps, catalogs, armory and manufacturing records (e.g., Springfield Armory and industrial corridor), militia and maritime archives, and oral histories tied to Massachusetts people and places.
- Research outputs: technical reports, academic studies, training manuals, and curated datasets relevant to the state.
Cite the Firearms Research Center and the item’s handle/DOI when using materials. Rights and licensing vary by item.
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Item type:Item, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 392 (1853)(1620)"For such of or nation as sell munition, gunns, or other furniture, to arme the Indians against vs, or teach them the vse of armes, wee would haue yow to apphend them and send them prisons for England, where they will not escape severe punishmt, being expressly against the proclamacon."Item type:Item, 1717 Mass. Acts 336(1717)An Act For The Better Regulation Of Fowling: That if any person or persons shall, at any time after two months from the publication of this act, make use of any boat, canoe, float, raft or other vessel, wherewith to approach to, and shoot at any waterfowl, in any part of this province, he or they so offending, shall each of them forfeit and pay, for every such offence, the sum of forty shillings to the informer. And every such offender shall be, and hereby is prohibited and restrained from using a gun to shoot at waterfowl for the space of three years next after his offence, upon the like penalty of forty shillings for each time he shall presume so to offend, to be disposed of in manner as the forfeiture aforementioned.Item type:Item, The Charter Granted by Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary to the Inhabitants of the Providence of the Massachussets Bay in New England 271-72 (1726)(1719)An Act For the Punishing and Preventing of Duelling: That whoever ... fight a duel, combat, or engage in a rencounter with rapier, or small-sword, back-sword, pistol, or any other dangerous weapon, to the danger of life, mayhem, or wounding of the parties, or the affray of his Majesty's good subjects, (although death doth not thereby ensue) and be thereof convicted, by due course of law, before the Court of Assize, or Court of General Sessions of the Peace, in the respective Counties of this Province, shall be punished by fine, not exceeding a hundred pounds, imprisonment, not exceeding six months, or corporally punished...Item type:Item, The Charter Granted by Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary to the Inhabitants of the Providence of the Massachussets Bay in New England 226-27 (1726)(1713)An Act To Prohibit Shooting Or Firing Off Guns Near The Road Or Highway On Boston Neck: That no person or persons, from and after the publication of this Act, may presume to discharge or fire off any gun upon Boston Neck within ten rods of the road or highway leading over the same, on pain of forfeiting and paying the sum of twenty shillings . . . And for the better conviction of persons offending against this Act, it shall be lawful, to and for any Free-holder, to arrest and take into custody any gun so fired off, and render the same to one of the next Justices in Boston, in order to its being produced at the time of trial.Item type:Item, The Charter Granted by Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary to the Inhabitants of the Providence of the Massachussets Bay in New England 272-73 (1726)(1719)An Act in Further Addition to an Act for Erecting a Powder House in Boston: That, from and after the publication of this Act, no gunpowder shall be kept on board any ship, or other vessel, lying to or grounded at any wharf within the port of Boston. And if any gunpowder shall be found on board such ship or vessel lying aground, as aforesaid, such powder shall be liable to confiscation, and under the same penalty, as if it were found lying in any house or warehouse. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no powder be carried through any town upon trucks, under the penalty of ten shillings per barrel for every barrel of powder so conveyed, and so proportionally for smaller cask.Item type:Item, The Charter Granted by Their Majesties King William and Queen Mary to the Inhabitants of the Providence of the Massachussets Bay in New England 189-90 (1726)(1715)An Act For Erecting a Powder-House within the Town of Boston: That, from and after the publication hereof, any person within the town of Boston, that shall presume to keep, in his house or Warehouse, any powder, above what is by law allowed, shall forfeit and pay, for every half-barrel, the sum of five pounds . . . That any person or persons whosoever, that shall throw any squibs, serpents, or rockets, or perform any other fireworks within the streets, . . (shall be fined).Item type:Item, The Charters And General Laws Of The Colony And Province Of Massachusetts Bay 343 (1814)(1700)no person or persons whatsoever in any town or garrison, shall during the time of war, or of keeping a military watch in such town or garrison, presume to discharge or shoot off any gun or guns after the sun's setting or before the sun's rising, unless in case of alarm, approach of an enemy, or other necessary defense, on pain that every person, so offending, and being thereof convicted before one or more of his majesty's justices of the peace, shall forfeit and pay the sum of twenty shillings for each gun so discharged, on moiety thereof to and for the use of the poor of the town where the offence shall be committed, and the other moiety to him or them that shall inform or prosecute for the same...Item type:Item, 1692 Mass. Acts 11-12(1692)Prohibited riding or going armed offensively to cause fear or affray of the people.Item type:Item, Records Of The Colony Of New Plymouth In New England 230 (Daniel Pulsifier ed., 1861)(1671)Laws of Plymouth Colony (1671). Whereas several persons have been greatly endangered by setting of guns, it is enacted by the Court and the authority thereof that none shall sett any guns except in enclosures and that the gun be sufficiently enclosed so as it be secure from hurting man or beast and that he that setteth the gun do give warning or notice thereof to all the neighbors on penalty of paying a fine of five pounds to the use of the Colony for every default.Item type:Item, 1693 Mass. Acts 48(1693)An Act for Regulating of the Militia, ch. 3, §§ 1, 5: That all male persons from sixteen years of age to sixty, (other than such as are herein after excepted), shall bear arms, and duly attend all musters and military exercises of the respective troops and companies where they are listed . . . § 5 That every listed solider and other householder (except troopers) shall be always provided with a well fixed firelock musket, or musket or bastard musket bore . . .Item type:Item, 1694 Mass. Acts 12(1694)No. 6, An Act for the Punishing of Criminal Offenders: Further it is Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every Justice of the Peace in the County where the Offence is committed , may cause to be staid and arrested all Affrayers, Rioters, Disturbers, or Breakers of the Peace, and such as shall ride or go armed Offensively before any of their Majesties Justices, or other Their Officers or Ministers doing their Office or elsewhere.Item type:Item, The Compact with the Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth 102 (William Brigham ed., 1836)(1657)Required the militia of every township to bring arms during Sunday church services. Violators fined twelve pence for every default.Item type:Item, The Acts And Resolves, Public And Private, of The Province Of The Massachusetts Bay 268 (1869)(1697)§ 3: That no person or persons whatsoever, in any town or garrison, shall presume to discharge or shoot off any gun or guns after the shutting in of the daylight in the evening, or before daylight in the morning, unless in case of alarm, approach of the enemy, or other necessary defense, on pain that every person so offending, and being thereof convicted before one or more of his majestie's justices of the peace, shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten shillings, one moiety thereof to and for the use of the poor of the town where the offence is committed, and the other moiety to him or them that shall inform or prosecute for the same. And in case such offender shall not have wherewith to answer the said fine, or shall refuse or neglect to pay the same, then to be set in the stocks, not exceeding two hours' time: provided, that this act shall remain and continue in force during the present war, and no longer.Item type:Item, Records of The Colony of New Plymouth in New England 173 (1856)(1676)Prohibited the selling, bartering, and giving of arms or ammunition to "any Indian," punishable by death.Item type:Item, Records Of The Colony Of New Plymouth In New England 66 (Daniel Pulsifier ed., 1861)(1656)Laws of Plymouth Colony (1656). And likewise that no Indian shall discharge any gun on the Lords day at any thing to the breach of the Sabbath and disturbance of the English; as they will answer it at their peril.Item type:Item, The Colonial Laws of Massachusetts 186 (Rockwell & Churchill 1889) (Passed 1645).(1645)Powder, § 2, MASS ACTS: That no Person (except for the defence of themselves and their vessels at Sea) shall transport any§Gunpowder§out of this jurisdiction, without License first obteined, from some two of the Magistrates, upon penalty of forfeiting all such powder as shall be transporting or transported, or the value thereof;"Item type:Item, The Compact with the Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth 115 (William Brigham ed., 1836)(1658)Required that one quarter of each militia to be armed during Sunday church services. Each militia member required to have a firearm, sword, three charges of powder and bullets. Violators fined two shillies and six pence for each day's neglect.Item type:Item, The Compact with the Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth 176 (William Brigham ed., 1836)(1675)Required every one to bring arms to Sunday church services, furnishing six chargers of powder and shott. Penalty of two shillings for violations.Item type:Item, The Charters And General Laws Of The Colony And Province Of Massachusetts Bay 190 (1814)(1663)Colony Laws. § 4: Be it also enacted by the authority of this court, that no masters of ships, or seamen, having their vessels riding within any of our harbors in this jurisdiction, shall presume to drink healths, or suffer any healths to be drunk within their vessels by day or night, or to shoot off any gun after the daylight is past, or on the sabbath day, on penalty for every health twenty shillings, and for every gun so shot twenty shillings.Item type:Item, 1647: Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts, reprinted in The Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts 28 (Harvard Univ. Press 1929)(1647)Prohibited the repairing, selling, and giving of "any Indian" a gun, ammunition, or armour, punishable by fine.Item type:Item, Records Of The Colony Of New Plymouth 177 (1856)(1675)that whoever shall shoot of any gun on any necessary occasion, or at any game whatsoever, except at an Indian or a wolf, shall forfeit five shillings for every such shot, till further liberty shall be given.Item type:Item, 2 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 134 (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff ed., 1853)(1645)Required "all inhabitants" to obtain arms for defense of themselves and the country. Muskets are to be full musket boare or basterd musket. No rifles should be under three foot nine inches in length, nor above four foot three inches.Item type:Item, 2 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 38 (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff ed., 1853)(1638)Military officers in every town shall appoint what arms are brought to public meetings. Also allowed officers to mandate safe disposure of ammunition to prevent acquisition by an enemy.Item type:Item, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 85 (1853)(1631)"Further, it is ordered, that noe pson shall travell single betwixte theis plantacons & Plymouthe, nor without some armes, though 2 or 3 togeather."Item type:Item, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 211-12 (1853)(1637)Whereas the opinions & revelations of Mr Wheeleright & Mrs Hutchinson have seduced & led into dangerous errors many of the people here New England , insomuch as there is just cause of suspicion that they, as others in Germany, in former times, may, upon some revelation, make some sudden irruption upon those that differ from them in judgment, for Prevention whereof it is ordered, that all those whose names are underwritten shall (upon warning given or left at their dwelling houses) before the 30th day of this month of November, deliver in at Mr Canes house, at Boston, all such guns, pistols, swords, powder, shot, & match as they shall be owners of, or have in their custody, upon pain of ten pound for ev§y default to bee made thereof; which arms are to be kept by Mr Cane till this Court shall take further order therein. Also, it is ordered, upon like penalty of [some unreadable amount of money, perhaps §, s., or p.), that no man who is to render his arms by this order shall buy or borrow any guns, swords, pistols, powder, shot, or match, until this Court shall take further order thereinItem type:Item, 1 Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay 190 (1853)(1636)"Whearas many complaints have bene made to this Court, both formerly & at psent, of the great neglect of all sorts of people of vseing the lawfull & necessary meanes of their safety, especially in this time of so much danger great fro the Indians, it is therefore ordered, that the millitary officers in every towne shall pride that the watches bee dewely kept in places most fit for danger by In- common safetie, & also a ward on the Lords dayes, the same to begin before the end of this first month, & to bee continued vntill the end of September ; & that every pson above the age of 18 yeares (except magistrats & elders of the churches) shalbee compellable to this servise, either in pson or by some substitute, to bee alowed by him that hath the charge of the watch or warde for that time, vpon paine of 5s for every default, to bee levyed by distresse by the surveyar of the armes, & to bee implyed for light & fyer, & such necessaries, by the discretion of the millitary officers./"