A Massachusetts compliant handgun is one that clears two separate state approvals: it appears on the Approved Firearms Roster maintained by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, and it meets the Attorney General’s consumer protection standards under 940 CMR 16.00. Passing one without the other is not enough. A dealer cannot legally sell you a handgun that fails either test, which is why many models sold freely in other states never appear on a Massachusetts gun shop’s shelves.
The Two Approvals Every Handgun Needs
Two different state agencies police handgun sales in Massachusetts, and their approvals run in parallel rather than in sequence. EOPSS publishes the roster, a downloadable list of models that have passed laboratory testing. The Attorney General separately enforces 940 CMR 16.00, a set of consumer protection rules that impose their own design and materials requirements on every handgun a dealer offers.1Mass.gov. 940 CMR 16.00: Handgun Sales
The gap between the two is where most buyer confusion begins. The roster is public and easy to check. The AG’s compliance, by contrast, produces no published model list. Manufacturers self-certify that a handgun meets 940 CMR 16.00, and the dealer carries the legal risk if the certification is wrong. That is why you can find a model on the state’s roster and still be told at the counter that it cannot be sold to you.
The Approved Firearms Roster
The roster is the first filter. The Department of Criminal Justice Information Services and EOPSS jointly maintain it, and state law requires them to review, update, and publish it online at least three times a year.2General Court of Massachusetts. Acts (2024) Chapter 135 The current version lives on the state’s approved firearms rosters page.3Mass.gov. Approved Firearms Rosters
To be listed, a manufacturer submits a model to an approved independent testing laboratory. The lab evaluates it against performance benchmarks set by the Firearm Control Advisory Board. Models that pass are added; models that fail cannot be sold commercially. A dealer who sells a handgun that is not on the roster faces fines of $1,000 to $10,000, imprisonment of one to ten years, or both.2General Court of Massachusetts. Acts (2024) Chapter 135
Before you visit a dealer, check the roster for the exact make and model you want. If it is not listed, a Massachusetts dealer cannot legally sell it to you no matter what else is true about the gun.
The Attorney General’s Safety Standards
The second layer sits inside consumer protection law. The Attorney General treats handgun sales as a matter under M.G.L. c. 93A, and 940 CMR 16.00 defines selling a non-compliant handgun as an unfair or deceptive trade practice, the same legal framework the Commonwealth uses against fraud and misleading business conduct.4Cornell Law Institute. 940 CMR 16.02 – Unfair or Deceptive Practicesp>
The materials rule is specific. A handgun cannot be sold if its frame, barrel, cylinder, slide, or breechblock is made from metal with a melting point below 900°F, tensile strength below 55,000 pounds per square inch, or a powdered metal density below 7.5 grams per cubic centimeter.5Mass.gov. 940 CMR 16.00: Handgun Sales
The regulations also require three mechanical features:
- A loaded chamber indicator, giving a visible or tactile signal when a round is in the chamber.
- A magazine disconnect, so the gun will not fire when the magazine is removed even if a round remains chambered.
- Either a manual safety or, for handguns without one, a heavier trigger pull to reduce the risk of accidental discharge.
This is the layer that keeps many nationally popular pistols off Massachusetts shelves. Glocks, for example, appear on the EOPSS roster because they pass laboratory testing. They lack both a loaded chamber indicator and a magazine disconnect, so they fail 940 CMR 16.00 and cannot be sold at retail. Buyers who see a model listed on the roster and assume it is available run into this mismatch constantly.
Enforcement is real. A Worcester dealer agreed to pay $25,000 in penalties after the AG’s office found the shop had been illegally selling Glock handguns that did not meet these standards.6Mass.gov. Worcester Gun Dealer Agrees to End Illegal Firearm Sales Some manufacturers respond by producing Massachusetts-specific variants with the required features added; Smith & Wesson, based in Springfield, has historically offered compliant versions of several models. Others do not, given the size of the market. The result is a noticeably narrower selection at Massachusetts dealers than at shops in New Hampshire or Maine.
Magazines That Ship With the Gun
Compliance extends to what comes in the box. Massachusetts defines a large capacity feeding device as any detachable or fixed magazine that holds more than ten rounds or can be readily converted to do so.7General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title XX, Chapter 140, Section 121 Possessing, transferring, or carrying one is generally prohibited outside the narrow authorizations in section 131M.
A limited grandfather clause exists for magazines manufactured before September 13, 1994, but the burden of proving the manufacture date falls on the owner. In practice, verify that the handgun you are considering ships with ten-round magazines. Manufacturers often produce Massachusetts-compliant magazines for models that ship with higher capacities elsewhere.
Named Pistols You Cannot Buy
Massachusetts bans certain semi-automatic pistols by name and prohibits copies or duplicates of them. The named pistols are the INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9, and TEC-22, along with the Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and Galil.8Mass.gov. Frequently Asked Questions About the Assault Weapons Ban Enforcement Notice
A semi-automatic pistol qualifies as a prohibited copy if it accepts a detachable magazine and either has internal components substantially similar to a banned model, or has a receiver that accepts key operating parts interchangeable with a banned weapon. Those key parts include the trigger assembly, bolt carrier group, charging handle, extractor assembly, and magazine port. Handguns that appear on the Approved Firearms Roster are generally not treated as copies or duplicates under this enforcement framework.8Mass.gov. Frequently Asked Questions About the Assault Weapons Ban Enforcement Notice
How to Verify a Specific Model Before You Buy
Four checks tell you whether a given handgun is actually available to you at retail:
- Pull up the current handgun roster on the mass.gov approved firearms rosters page and confirm the exact make and model is listed.3Mass.gov. Approved Firearms Rosters
- Ask the dealer whether the manufacturer has certified that this specific model meets 940 CMR 16.00. Reputable dealers track this closely because their license depends on it.
- Confirm the handgun ships with magazines of ten rounds or fewer.
- Bring your License to Carry. No dealer can transfer a handgun without verifying a valid LTC at the time of the transaction.
If the model fails any of these tests at a dealer, retail purchase is off the table. A private-market pathway may still exist, described next.
Buying Non-Roster Models Through Private Sale
The roster and 940 CMR 16.00 govern dealer sales. Private transfers between two licensed individuals operate under different rules, and this is where much of the secondary market for otherwise unavailable handguns lives.
Handguns that were lawfully possessed in Massachusetts before the AG’s consumer protection regulations took effect in October 1998 are commonly called pre-ban guns. They can be transferred privately between licensed parties even though they do not meet the AG’s current safety-feature requirements. This is why you will see Glocks and other non-compliant models in private listings at prices well above what they cost in other states; limited supply and steady demand create a significant premium.
Every private firearms transaction must be recorded through the Massachusetts Gun Transaction Portal, known as the MIRCS Unified Gun Portal. Both buyer and seller need valid licenses, and the transfer must be reported through the portal.9Mass.gov. Record a Private Firearms Sale or Registration Skipping the portal is a criminal violation, not a paperwork oversight.
What You Need as the Buyer
Compliance of the handgun is only half the equation. You cannot legally possess a handgun in Massachusetts without a License to Carry.10Mass.gov. Apply for or Renew a Firearms License A Firearm Identification Card covers rifles and shotguns and does not authorize handgun possession, so an FID alone will not let you complete a handgun purchase or a private transfer. Confirm your LTC is current before you spend time hunting for a specific model.