Prescribed Format
The Approved Firearms Roster must contain:
- Title ("Approved Firearms Roster")
- Effective month and year
- Supersession notice ("This Roster Supersedes All Previous Rosters")
- Notice of testing criteria citing MGL Chapter 140, Section 131 3/4 and 501 CMR 7.00[2]
- Publication method notice stating modifications occur periodically and directing users to the EOPSS website for the most recent version
- Notice that the Roster does not guarantee compliance with 940 CMR 16.00 (AG consumer protection regulations)
Update Schedule
The regulation does not prescribe a fixed publication interval. Section 7.07(5) states modifications "are likely to occur periodically." The Formal Target Shooting Roster, by contrast, is published bi-annually per Section 7.15. In practice, the Approved Firearms Roster is updated as new models are approved. Section 7.03(6) requires EOPSS to maintain a continuously updated online list including newly approved models awaiting formal publication, plus a printed copy available upon request.
Constitutional Challenge
The roster framework governed by 501 CMR 7.00 -- including the publication requirements in Section 7.07 -- is subject to an active constitutional challenge in Granata v. Campbell (formerly Granata v. Healey).[3] The Firearms Policy Coalition argues that restricting which handguns may be sold by dealers violates the Second Amendment under the Bruen framework. Oral arguments are scheduled for April 4, 2026, before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.[4] If the roster is struck down, the publication requirements of Section 7.07 would become moot.