Massachusetts now boasts the third-lowest gun-ownership rate in America. That could change as the appetite for guns grows
New evidence suggests that Massachusetts’s gun-control rules are not being enforced. Ainvestigation of 112 police stations charged with inspecting gun dealers found that few had been doing their job. More than half had not inspected gun shops in their jurisdiction since 2017. Such inattention may be what allowed the Littleton Mill to grow from three to more than 80 dealers in just eight years.
The legal lines can be blurry. In one Littleton shop, glass cases hold shiny pistols behind a handwritten “” sign. Though assault weapons were outlawed in 1998, those that were made before the ban can still be lawfully sold. But police have a hard time distinguishing between old and new models, says a former chief.
And the state remains a haven for gunmakers. Since George Washington chose to store muskets and cannons for the Revolutionary War in Springfield, the region, nicknamed “gun valley”, has been a hub for producers. Firms brought revenue and jobs to the commonwealth; state tax breaks helped them expand. Researchers at Drew University estimate that between 2000 and 2020, 21m firearms, 16% of the country’s new stock, were made in Massachusetts. That is more than in any other state.
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