Since the state legislature began debating a bill to tighten restrictions on firearm licenses, the state of Massachusetts has seen a significant rise in the number of applications for Class A carry licenses. The bill, which passed in August 2014, brings the requirements for the more basic Firearm Identification Card to the standards for Class A licenses and gives police chiefs discretion to request the denial of a license to applicants who are considered risky. Even before the new law went into effect, Massachusetts was considered to have some of the strictest gun laws in the country.
Whether citizens are upgrading their Firearm Identification Cards to Class A permits or securing a permit with the expectation of further restrictions, Massachusetts provides an illuminating case study of how punitive gun-control laws aimed at law-abiding gun owners only make them more desperate to secure their rights.
