Is My Rifle Legal in Massachusetts? A Compliance Guide

Massachusetts does not use the approved-handgun sales roster for rifles. Rifles are instead evaluated under a prohibition framework that includes feature tests, named models, a copy-or-duplicate clause, and the separate assault-style firearm roster maintained under Section 131 3/4.

Rifle classification depends on the Section 121 features test, named models, assault-style firearm roster and statutory copy-or-duplicate rules. Section 131M sets the prohibition and exceptions, including grandfathering under Chapter 135. The AG's 2016 enforcement notice also addresses copies or duplicates. This guide walks through each layer so you can evaluate any rifle configuration against the law.

How Rifle Regulation Differs from Handgun Regulation

Massachusetts applies different roster rules to handgun and rifle dealer sales. Dealer sales of handguns generally require roster approval, subject to exceptions. Rifles are regulated through a prohibition system. For dealer sales, handguns generally require roster approval, subject to exceptions. Rifles do not need to be on the approved-handgun sales roster, but their sale must comply with other firearms laws.

Category	Handguns	Rifles
Regulatory model	Approved roster (allowlist)	Prohibition framework (blocklist)
Default status	Dealer sales generally require approval, subject to exceptions	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 and must meet safety standards unless a statutory exemption applies	Action type, caliber class, magazine type and feature count, plus roster listings, named models, copies or duplicates and statutory exclusions
State list at mass.gov	Yes (Approved Firearms Roster)	No approved sales-roster listing is required for rifles. A separate assault-style firearm roster is provided for by law

Rifles do not need to appear on an approved sales roster, but Section 121 separately covers firearms listed on the assault-style firearm roster. Check whether your rifle meets the assault-style firearm definition, including its roster, named-model and copy-or-duplicate branches and statutory exclusions, and whether a Section 131M exemption applies.

Non-Semiautomatic Rifles

Among rifles, the assault-style firearm features test applies only to semiautomatic rifles. If your rifle is not semiautomatic, the rifle features test does not apply to it. The Section 121 "assault-style firearm" definition is not limited to rifles, though. Separate prongs reach semiautomatic pistols with the capacity to accept a detachable feeding device and at least two listed features, semiautomatic shotguns that have at least two listed features, and any firearm on the assault-style firearm roster or banned by name. The exclusions in Section 121(g) still apply, including the exclusion for a semiautomatic shotgun that cannot hold more than five rounds in a fixed or detachable feeding device.

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 Section 121(g) excludes firearms operated by manual bolt action.

These rifles remain subject to other Massachusetts firearms laws:

• Unless a licensing exemption applies, 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. Rifles operated by manual bolt, pump, lever or slide action are excluded from the assault-style firearm definition.

Step 2: Is it centerfire? If no, the rifle does not satisfy the centerfire-rifle feature-test branch. Rimfire status is not a blanket exemption from the entire assault-style firearm definition. The named-model, assault-style firearm roster, and copy-or-duplicate branches must still be checked.^[1]

Step 3: Can it accept a detachable magazine? If no, the rifle does not satisfy the detachable-magazine feature-test branch. That does not end the analysis. A fixed-magazine firearm can still be prohibited if it appears on the assault-style firearm roster, is a named model, or falls within another statutory branch. A fixed large-capacity feeding device can also make it a large capacity firearm.

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 meet the rifle feature test, subject to Section 121's exclusions. Unless excluded under Section 121, the rifle is classified as an assault-style firearm under Section 121 and is prohibited under Section 131M^[2], unless grandfathered under Section 131M(b) or exempt under Section 131M(e).

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

The Five Prohibited Features

Section 121^[1] lists five features. Unless excluded under Section 121, 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
Thumbhole stock or pistol grip	A pistol grip of any form, or a stock with a thumbhole, allowing a pistol-style hold	Standard AR-15 grip, AK pistol grip, thumbhole stock
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
Threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor, muzzle brake or similar feature	Barrel threads that allow a flash suppressor, muzzle brake or similar device to be attached	Threaded 1/2x28 muzzle, whether or not a device is attached
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	A heat shield that encircles all or part of the barrel to protect the bearer's hand from heat, excluding a slide that encloses the barrel

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. A threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor, muzzle brake or similar feature counts as a feature even if no device is attached.

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, if no other assault-style firearm branch applies and licensing requirements are met	Rimfire. The Section 121 features test applies only to semiautomatic centerfire rifles
Featureless semi-auto centerfire (fixed stock, no pistol grip, no threads)	Yes	0	Yes, if no other assault-style firearm branch applies and licensing requirements are met	Passes the rifle features test. Verify it is not on the assault-style firearm roster, a named model or a copy or duplicate
Fixed-magazine semi-auto centerfire	No	Any	Yes, if no other assault-style firearm branch applies and licensing requirements are met	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	Not prohibited by the rifle features test alone	Below the two-feature threshold. Check the assault-style firearm roster, named models and copy-or-duplicate rules.
Semi-auto centerfire with pistol grip + collapsible stock	Yes	2	No	Two features = assault-style firearm under Section 121
Semiautomatic centerfire AR-15 with a detachable magazine, pistol grip, collapsible stock and flash hider on a threaded barrel	Yes	3 to 5, depending on whether a qualifying forward grip or barrel shroud is present	No	Multiple listed features. Section 121(e) also names the Colt AR-15, and Section 121(f) defines copies or 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 named in the Section 121 definition that Section 131M enforces^[2].

Section 121(e) names the following firearms, and copies or duplicates of them, as assault-style firearms, subject to the copy-or-duplicate exclusion in Section 121(f) and the exclusions in Section 121(g). Section 131M prohibits assault-style firearms, subject to grandfathering under Section 131M(b) and exemptions under Section 131M(e). The named models are listed below.

• Colt AR-15 and all copies or duplicates
• AK-series (Avtomat Kalashnikov, all models) and all copies or duplicates
• Beretta AR70 (SC-70)
• Fabrique National FN/FAL, FN/LAR and FNC
• SWD M-10, M-11, M-11/9, and M-12
• Steyr AUG
• INTRATEC TEC-9, TEC-DC9, and TEC-22
• Action Arms Israeli Military Industries Galil and copies or duplicates under Section 121(f)
• Action Arms Israeli Military Industries UZI and copies or duplicates under Section 121(f)

A named model can meet the Section 121(e) definition even in a featureless configuration, subject to the exclusions in Section 121(g). The Section 131M prohibition remains subject to grandfathering under subsection (b) and exemptions under subsection (e). 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, unless Section 131M(b) grandfathering or a Section 131M(e) exemption applies.

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

In 2016, Attorney General Maura Healey issued an Enforcement Notice^[4] giving guidance on identifying copies or duplicates of the named banned firearms. Under Section 121(f) as amended by Chapter 135, a firearm is a copy or duplicate if it was manufactured or later configured to accept a detachable magazine and either has internal functional components substantially similar in construction and configuration to those of an enumerated firearm or has a receiver that is the same as or interchangeable with the receiver of an enumerated firearm.

In practice, this means that a rifle that can accept a detachable magazine and has a receiver that is the same as or interchangeable with the Colt AR-15 receiver, or internal functional components substantially similar in construction and configuration to those of the Colt AR-15, is treated as a copy or duplicate of it, regardless of manufacturer or feature count, unless it was sold, owned and registered before July 20, 2016. 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 a copy-or-duplicate definition. In Capen v. Campbell, 134 F.4th 660 (1st Cir. 2025), the First Circuit affirmed denial of a preliminary injunction after concluding that the challenge was unlikely to succeed. That was not a final merits judgment, and the consolidated district-court litigation remains pending.^[6]

Grandfathering Timeline

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

Date	What It Covers	Conditions
September 13, 1994	Large capacity feeding devices include magazines capable of holding, or readily convertible to accept, more than 10 rounds or more than 5 shotgun shells, and parts from which such a device can be assembled when possessed or controlled by the same person. Section 121 excludes devices permanently altered to hold no more than 10 rounds or 5 shotgun shells, attached tubular devices operating only with .22 caliber rimfire ammunition, and tubular magazines in lever-action firearms or pump shotguns.	Must have been lawfully possessed on September 13, 1994, rather than merely manufactured on or before that date. Possession under Section 131M(c) is restricted to private property owned or legally controlled by the possessor, other private property not open to the public with the owner's or authorized agent's express permission, licensed dealer or gunsmith premises for lawful repair, licensed firing ranges or sports shooting competition venues, and travel to and from those locations. The device must be stored unloaded and secured in a locked container in accordance with Sections 131C and 131L. Transfer is limited to an heir or devisee, a person residing outside the commonwealth, or a licensed dealer. In-state private sales are prohibited unless the transfer falls within Section 131M(c) or an exemption under Section 131M(e).
July 20, 2016	Copies or duplicates of named banned firearms	For the statutory copy-or-duplicate exclusion, the firearm must have been sold, owned, and registered before July 20, 2016 (Section 121(f)).
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 or a dealer-license holder. Must be registered under Section 121B and serialized under Section 121C. An out-of-state pre-ban date alone does not satisfy the requirement that the firearm was lawfully possessed within the commonwealth on August 1, 2024.

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 unless they are already recorded in MIRCS or a legacy DCJIS system.

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) fall outside the semiautomatic centerfire rifle features test. Other firearm laws still apply. Rimfire semiautomatic rifles are outside the Section 121(a) feature test, which covers only centerfire rifles, but a named or copied model such as the TEC-22 can still be an assault-style firearm subject to Section 131M and its exceptions. A detachable rimfire magazine holding more than ten rounds is still a large capacity feeding device. Featureless or one-feature semiautomatic centerfire rifles pass the rifle features test, but the assault-style firearm roster, named-model and copy-or-duplicate provisions and other firearm laws still apply. Fixed-magazine semiautomatic centerfire rifles are legal under the features test.

Copies or duplicates. Section 121(f) applies the detachable-magazine capability and component or receiver tests to firearms on the assault-style firearm roster and the enumerated models. It excludes firearms sold, owned and registered before July 20, 2016. The November 3, 2026 referendum could repeal Chapter 135, including its expanded definitions, registration requirement and changes to the Firearm Control Advisory Board.

Do: Verify the feature count of any semiautomatic centerfire rifle before purchase or transfer. If the rifle has a pistol grip, keeping it below the two-feature threshold requires a fixed stock, no threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor or muzzle brake or similar feature, no forward grip or second handgrip or protruding grip that can be held by the non-trigger hand, and no heat-shielding barrel shroud other than a slide that encloses the barrel. Confirm the rifle is not a named model or a copy/duplicate of one. If you own a grandfathered assault-style firearm, register it by October 28, 2026 unless its transaction was already recorded in MIRCS or a DCJIS legacy system. The pending referendum asks voters whether to keep or repeal Chapter 135. Consult a licensed dealer or firearms attorney when evaluating borderline configurations.