Is My Rifle Legal in Massachusetts? A Compliance Guide

Massachusetts does not have a rifle roster. Unlike handguns, which must appear on the EOPSS Approved Firearms Roster to be sold, rifles are regulated through a prohibition framework: the law defines what is banned, and everything else is permitted.

Whether a specific rifle is legal in Massachusetts depends on the interaction of four legal layers: the Section 121 features test, the Section 131M named models list, the AG's 2016 enforcement notice on "copies or duplicates," and the Chapter 135 grandfathering framework. This guide walks through each layer so you can evaluate any rifle configuration against the law.

How Rifle Regulation Differs from Handgun Regulation

The most common misconception about Massachusetts firearms law is that rifles work the same way as handguns. They do not. Handguns are regulated through an approval system. Rifles are regulated through a prohibition system. The distinction matters because it changes the default: with handguns, if it is not on the list, it cannot be sold; with rifles, if it is not banned, it is permitted.

Category	Handguns	Rifles
Regulatory model	Approved roster (allowlist)	Prohibition framework (blocklist)
Default status	Banned unless approved	Legal unless prohibited
Governing authority	EOPSS Approved Firearms Roster (501 CMR 7.00)[5]	MGL c. 140, Sections 121 and 131M[1]
What determines legality	Manufacturer submits for testing; must pass safety standards	Configuration: action type, caliber class, magazine type, and feature count
State list at mass.gov	Yes (Approved Firearms Roster)	No "rifle roster" exists

There is no searchable list of approved rifles at mass.gov. If you have been told to "check the rifle roster," no such roster exists. The question is not whether your rifle appears on a list, but whether it matches the criteria for a prohibited assault-style firearm.

Non-Semiautomatic Rifles

The assault-style firearm test applies only to semiautomatic rifles. If your rifle is not semiautomatic, the features test does not apply to it at all.

Bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action, and single-shot rifles are generally legal in Massachusetts regardless of their features. A bolt-action rifle with a pistol grip, a threaded barrel, and a folding stock is not an assault-style firearm because the definition requires a semiautomatic action.

These rifles remain subject to other Massachusetts firearms laws:

• You must hold a valid LTC or FID to possess a rifle (MGL c. 140, Section 129C)
• All firearms must be stored in compliance with safe storage requirements (MGL c. 140, Section 131L)
• Prohibited persons may not possess any firearm regardless of type
• Magazine capacity limits still apply to any detachable magazines used with the rifle

The Assault-Style Firearm Test (Semi-Auto Centerfire Rifles)

If your rifle is semiautomatic, the law applies a step-by-step test. Work through the following decision logic in order:

Step 1: Is it semiautomatic? If no, the features test does not apply. The rifle is legal under this framework (subject to other laws).

Step 2: Is it centerfire? If no, the rifle is exempt. Rimfire semiautomatic rifles (such as the Ruger 10/22 in .22 LR) are not subject to the assault-style firearm definition under Section 121^[1].

Step 3: Can it accept a detachable magazine? If no, the rifle is legal under the features test. A semiautomatic centerfire rifle with a fixed magazine (regardless of capacity) does not meet the definition of an assault-style firearm, because the definition requires the ability to accept a detachable magazine as a prerequisite.

Step 4: Count the features. If the rifle is a semiautomatic, centerfire rifle that accepts a detachable magazine, count how many of the five prohibited features it has (see the next section).

Step 5: Two or more features = assault-style firearm. The rifle is classified as an assault-style firearm under Section 121 and is prohibited under Section 131M^[2], unless grandfathered.

Step 6: Fewer than two features = legal under the features test. However, the rifle may still be prohibited under the named models ban or the copies-or-duplicates doctrine (see below).

The Five Prohibited Features

Section 121^[1] lists five features. A semiautomatic centerfire rifle that accepts a detachable magazine and has two or more of these features is an assault-style firearm:

Feature	Plain-Language Meaning	Common Examples
Folding or telescoping stock	A stock that collapses, folds to the side, or adjusts in length	M4-style collapsible stock, side-folding AK stock, LAW folder
Pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action	A grip angled separately from the stock, allowing a pistol-style hold	Standard AR-15 grip, AK pistol grip, aftermarket vertical grips
Forward grip, second handgrip, or protruding grip	A grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand	Vertical foregrip, angled foregrip, handstop with grip
Flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to accommodate one	A device on the muzzle that reduces visible flash, or threads that allow one to be attached	A2 flash hider, threaded 1/2x28 muzzle, three-prong flash hider
Barrel shroud	A shroud that encircles all or part of the barrel to shield the bearer's hand from heat, excluding a slide that encloses the barrel	M203, GP-25 (rare on civilian firearms)

Note that a muzzle brake or compensator that is not a flash suppressor and is permanently attached (pinned and welded) to an unthreaded barrel does not count as a feature. However, a threaded barrel counts as a feature on its own, even if nothing is attached to it, because the statute prohibits a "threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor."

Common Configurations: Compliance Matrix

The following table shows how common real-world rifle configurations interact with the features test. This is not legal advice; each configuration should be evaluated against the full statute.

Configuration	Detachable Mag?	Features	Legal?	Notes
Bolt-action hunting rifle (e.g., Remington 700)	N/A	N/A	Yes	Not semiautomatic; features test does not apply
Lever-action rifle (e.g., Marlin 336)	N/A	N/A	Yes	Not semiautomatic; features test does not apply
Rimfire semi-auto (e.g., Ruger 10/22 in .22 LR)	Yes	Varies	Yes	Rimfire; excluded from the centerfire requirement in Section 121
Featureless semi-auto centerfire (fixed stock, no pistol grip, no threads)	Yes	0	Yes	Passes features test; verify it is not a named model or copy/duplicate
Fixed-magazine semi-auto centerfire	No	Any	Yes	No detachable magazine; features test prerequisite not met
Semi-auto centerfire with 1 feature (e.g., pistol grip only, fixed stock, no threads)	Yes	1	Yes	Below the two-feature threshold; verify it is not a named model or copy/duplicate
Semi-auto centerfire with pistol grip + collapsible stock	Yes	2	No	Two features = assault-style firearm under Section 121
Standard AR-15 configuration (pistol grip, collapsible stock, flash hider/threads)	Yes	3-5	No	Multiple features + named model under Section 131M + copies/duplicates

The Named Models Ban

Even if a rifle passes the features test (fewer than two features, or no detachable magazine), it may still be prohibited if it is one of the firearms banned by name under Section 131M^[2].

Section 131M retains the list of firearms originally banned by the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban and adds to it. The named models include:

• Colt AR-15 and all copies or duplicates
• AK-series (Avtomat Kalashnikova) and all copies or duplicates
• Beretta AR-70 and Ar70
• FN-FAL, FN-LAR, and FN-FNC
• SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12
• Steyr AUG
• INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9, and TEC-22
• Galil and Galil variants
• UZI and UZI variants

A named model is banned even in a featureless configuration. A Colt AR-15 with a fixed stock, no pistol grip, no bayonet lug, no threaded barrel, and a fixed magazine is still prohibited under Section 131M because it is banned by name.

The AG's 2016 "Copies or Duplicates" Enforcement Notice

On July 20, 2016, Attorney General Maura Healey issued an Enforcement Notice^[4] that significantly broadened the interpretation of "copies or duplicates" of named banned firearms. Under this interpretation, a firearm is a copy or duplicate if its internal operating system is substantially similar to a named model.

In practice, this means that any rifle built on the AR-15 direct-impingement or short-stroke piston platform, regardless of manufacturer, is treated as a copy or duplicate of the Colt AR-15. A Smith & Wesson M&P15, a Ruger AR-556, a Daniel Defense DDM4, and a home-built AR-15 from a stripped lower are all affected, even if they have zero prohibited features.

Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024^[3] codified portions of this interpretation by defining "copy or duplicate" in statute. The First Circuit upheld the constitutionality of the Massachusetts assault weapons ban (including the copies-or-duplicates doctrine) in Capen v. Campbell (1st Cir. 2025)^[6].

Grandfathering Timeline

Massachusetts law provides three distinct grandfathering dates. Each applies to different categories of firearms and carries different conditions^[3]:

Date	What It Covers	Conditions
September 13, 1994	Large capacity feeding devices (magazines >10 rounds or >5 shotgun shells)	Must have been manufactured before this date. Possession now restricted to home, private property, licensed ranges, and in transit (stored unloaded in a locked container) under Section 131M(c) as amended by Chapter 135.
July 20, 2016	Copies or duplicates of named banned firearms	Must have been lawfully possessed in Massachusetts, registered, and serialized before this date. Must have fewer than two prohibited features. Chapter 135 codified the AG's enforcement notice cutoff.
August 1, 2024	All firearms meeting the expanded "assault-style firearm" definition under Chapter 135	Must have been lawfully possessed within the commonwealth on this date by an LTC holder. Must be registered under Section 121B and serialized under Section 121C. The phrase "within the commonwealth" bars importing pre-ban firearms from out of state after this date.

Each grandfathering date is independent. A firearm may qualify under one date but not another. For a detailed treatment of how to prove grandfathered status and the burden-of-proof question, see our guide on Three Grandfathering Dates and the Burden of Proof.

Registration Requirements

Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024^[3] created a new registration requirement for grandfathered assault-style firearms. Under Section 121B, owners of firearms grandfathered under the August 1, 2024 date must register them through the MIRCS (Massachusetts Instant Record Check System) portal.

Deadline: October 28, 2026.

Failure to register by the deadline may void the grandfathering protection, converting a lawfully possessed firearm into an illegally possessed one.

Important: This registration requirement is subject to the November 3, 2026 ballot referendum on Chapter 135. If voters repeal Chapter 135, the registration requirement and the expanded assault-style firearm definition would be eliminated. If voters uphold Chapter 135, the October 28, 2026 registration deadline remains in effect. Monitor our news section for updates on the referendum.

Bottom Line

Settled: Non-semiautomatic rifles (bolt, lever, pump, single-shot) are legal regardless of features. Rimfire semiautomatic rifles are legal regardless of features. Featureless or one-feature semiautomatic centerfire rifles that are not named models or copies/duplicates are legal. Fixed-magazine semiautomatic centerfire rifles are legal under the features test.

Unsettled: The exact scope of "copies or duplicates" beyond the AR-15 and AK platforms. The Firearms Compliance Advisory Board (FCAB) created by Chapter 135 is expected to publish a list of prohibited firearms, but has not yet done so. The November 3, 2026 referendum could repeal Chapter 135 entirely, eliminating the expanded definitions, the registration requirement, and the FCAB.

Do: Verify the feature count of any semiautomatic centerfire rifle before purchase or transfer. If the rifle has a pistol grip, ensure it has a fixed stock and no threaded barrel to stay below the two-feature threshold. Confirm the rifle is not a named model or a copy/duplicate of one. If you own a grandfathered assault-style firearm, register it before the October 28, 2026 deadline (pending the referendum outcome). Consult a licensed dealer or firearms attorney when evaluating borderline configurations.