How Handguns Get Listed
A manufacturer submits a firearm to an approved independent testing laboratory (which cannot be owned by a manufacturer or advocacy organization). The lab conducts tests per Section 123, clauses Eighteenth through Twenty-first. The lab submits a final report to the Secretary and the Firearms Control Advisory Board (renamed from "Gun Control Advisory Board" by Chapter 135[2]). The board reviews and recommends. The Secretary makes the final determination. Roster placement serves as notice of compliance with Section 123.
Testing Requirements
- Materials quality: Frame, barrel, cylinder, slide, and breechblock must use metal with melting point of at least 900 degrees Fahrenheit, tensile strength of at least 55,000 psi, powdered metal density of at least 7.5 g/cm3, or pass a 600-round firing test
- Drop test: 5 samples dropped from 1 meter in 6 positions (normal, inverted, on grip, on muzzle, on each side, on exposed hammer/striker) with no discharge
- Mechanical safety: No multiple discharge per trigger pull; no explosion
- Accuracy: Barrels under 3 inches require disclosure of average group diameter at 7, 14, and 21 yards
Alternative Pathways
A firearm may be deemed compliant if it is a functional design equivalent of an already-tested model from the same manufacturer, or if it was tested by another state with identical testing requirements.
Removal
The Secretary, on own initiative or upon advice of the Firearms Control Advisory Board, or through petition, may remove a firearm from the Roster with written notice to the manufacturer. Appeals: 90-day window to petition the Secretary with clear and convincing evidence; 45-day response deadline.
Dealer Compliance
Selling a non-approved firearm violates Section 123, except for: firearms lawfully owned before October 21, 1998; firearms delivered to or from a gunsmith for repair; return of consigned firearms; and firearms on the Formal Target Shooting Roster.
Important Caveat
The Roster does not guarantee compliance with the Attorney General's separate handgun sales regulations at 940 CMR 16.00. The most recent published roster is the December 2025 edition (25 pages), now titled the "Approved Handgun Roster."[3]
Granata v. Campbell: Constitutional Challenge
The Approved Handgun Roster is subject to an active constitutional challenge. In Granata v. Campbell (formerly Granata v. Healey), the Firearms Policy Coalition and individual plaintiffs argue that restricting which handguns may be sold by dealers violates the Second Amendment under the Bruen framework.[4]
On August 29, 2025, the District Court granted summary judgment for the Commonwealth. Plaintiffs appealed to the First Circuit on September 9, 2025. On January 28, 2026, the Trump DOJ filed an amicus brief siding with the plaintiffs, arguing that the handgun roster violates the Second Amendment.[5]
Oral arguments are scheduled for April 4, 2026, before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.[6] The FPC has drawn parallels between this case and its similar California challenge, Renna v. Bonta, where a federal district court granted a preliminary injunction (now stayed pending appeal) against key provisions of California's handgun roster. If the First Circuit reverses the district court, the entire handgun roster framework could be invalidated.
See also: AG Handgun Sales Enforcement Notice