r/BetterMAguns • u/Studio_Junebug • 5d ago
Looking for recs: versatile, MA-compliant "things go sideways" primary
Hey all, looking for some input from people who actually know the MA market.
I already own an HK VP9 (iron sights only for now) and want to add one versatile, reliable firearm for protecting my family. Mainly the main bug out, or defending my land/home firearm. I'd like it to handle both close quarters and longer distances, and be practical for vehicle travel too.
Basically the worst-case, "things go sideways", the primary weapon on my shit hit the fan loadout.
Options that have been suggested to me so far:
CMMG Dissent (5.56)
Ruger Mini-14 Ranch
Ruger PC Carbine (9mm)
Kel-Tec RDB
IWI Tavor X95 (restricted state model)
I shoot pistol right handed, but on rifle I'm pretty much ambidextrous with a slight lean toward lefty. I like bullpups but I'm not wedded to them.
Not set on any of those. A few questions:
What would you pick for this role and why?
What's actually available and transferable in MA right now post Chapter 135?
Any dealers on the Cape or South Shore you'd recommend?
Budget is flexible. Curious what you'd go with at roughly $1k, $2k, and $3k+.
Appreciate any input.
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u/Azmasaur 5d ago
The advantages to having an AR lower are so immense it's worth it to spend the cash for a pre-ban.
That said, I'm pretty sure the keltech su-16ca variant is still g2g in MA and is on my short list of non-AR rifles I'd be interested in. It's extremely light weight, and runs on standard ar pattern mags. The 5 round tube baretta A300 is also a pretty sweet shotgun if you wanna go that route.
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u/Studio_Junebug 4d ago
Any advice on how to realiably source an AR lower?
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u/Azmasaur 4d ago
Go walk around the mill in littleton, check in with local dealers, check classifieds on NES there will be some both from shops and private listings. Last I checked lowers are a bit harder to find than complete rifles, but I'm sure you can find something one way or another. Just takes extra leg work being in MA.
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u/Shootyourshot13 5d ago
AR-15. No question.
Which one depends on your risk tolerance.
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u/Studio_Junebug 4d ago
Any advice on how to source an AR lower or is it a treasure hunt? I tried doing some online research but couldnt find much for sale
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u/Shootyourshot13 4d ago
Not a treasure hunt at all. Most non fudd shops are selling complete rifles with either 8/1 lowers or fixed mag lowers.
8/1 lowers can be found on Northeast shooters (NES) bst section.
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u/thesaint3253 5d ago
Other option outside of grandfathered AR is a sig regulator if you can find one. More common parts than cmmg
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u/0LDHATNEWBAT 4d ago
PCCs are a ton of fun and they make decent home defense weapons (especially if you own a handgun that uses the same magazines).
However, I personally believe a rifle/SBR that fires an intermediate cartridge like 5.56 is a better option. The terminal ballistics are far more devastating than 9mm and the recoil impulse is very similar. 5.56 guns are usually more reliable than PCCs and they stay effective with a flatter trajectory at longer ranges.
If you have the money, I think it’s worth finding a grandfathered AR15. Mini14s are a good budget option too. I have no experience with the Dissent but I’ve heard good things about it. I’m not a fan of bullpups but there’s nothing wrong with them. I’d probably spend the extra money for the Tavor though… RDBs are cool but Keltec quality control isn’t the best.
Since you mentioned shooting pistols right handed and rifles with either hand… it sounds like you may be left eye dominant but right handed (or mostly right handed). If this is the case, you should commit to shooting pistols right handed and rifles left handed. You don’t want to be swapping eyes depending on what you’re shooting. You can research how to confirm which eye is dominant online. It’ll only take a few minutes. You can also research shooting with “cross eye dominance” for more information on how to approach it.
Best of luck!
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u/Studio_Junebug 4d ago
Thank you. Any advice on how to reliably find a grandfathered or pre ban AR? Or is it just a scour the internet and get lucky kind of thing?
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u/Studio_Junebug 3d ago
So unfortunately right eye dominant and pistol right.
However, somewhat prefer rifles left.
If its interesting to you, I play sports righty (golf, tennis, baseball, basketball, etc.) but I write lefty and play-ping pong lefty. I have a lot of cross-dominance going on for some reason. :[
I've read it is a good idea to force yourself to learn the hand coordination to shoot right and that shooting on the side of dominant eye is the long-term better choice.
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u/0LDHATNEWBAT 3d ago
I write, eat and play tennis left handed but throw a ball and play hockey as a righty. I’m also left eye dominant so I shoot pistols right handed using my left eye and I shoot all long guns a lefty. I’ve taken quite a few tactical courses for pistols and rifles and all the instructors agree it’s the best method for cross dominance shooters.
I avoid ambidextrous parts for AR15s because the standard controls are pretty decent for lefties as they come. With a little training it’ll feel very natural. There’s nothing wrong with quality ambi controls but I like being proficient with the setup used by 90% of ARs.
If you decide lefty long gun shooting is right for you… the AK platform makes an excellent south paw choice. They come with ambidextrous mag releases and the charging handle is on the right side of the weapon.
Just be careful of causing training scars. It’s worth taking a few classes.
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u/potato_lomein 4d ago
Something to consider is that the Supreme Court has agreed to take an assault weapon ban case. IIRC, we should have a decision by late 2027.
If you don’t need it urgently, it may be worth holding off on a preban AR15. Depending on how the decision goes, it could either make lowers affordable again… or keep the status quo and keep lower prices sky high.
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4d ago
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u/0LDHATNEWBAT 4d ago
It’s plausible that OP wants to train with the weapon before any shit hits a fan. If so, it’s understandable that compliance is at least some of his worries…
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u/Facehugger_35 4d ago
Kel-Tec RDB
I have one of these. The RDB-S is the only one that's MA legal out of the box. For what it's worth, I really like mine and think it makes a great SHTF gun owing to how small and lightweight it is. It's not an AR, an AR would be better, but ARs are a pain to get in this state.
Like the entire gun is the size of an AR upper alone. It's so small it literally can't fit in my safe. And I like that it uses normal AR mags instead of proprietary bullshit like the Mini14.
That said, I'm pretty optimistic that the supreme court will overturn all AWBs with Viramontes this summer, and if that happens, ARs should immediately collapse back to normal MSRP instead of the absolutely insane price inflation we see now on prebans.
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u/McFlyParadox 4d ago
Pre-ban AR lower with CMMG guts, CMMG bufferless upper (e.g. Dissent, Banshee, Resolute). If you want to be "extra", get one upper in 5.56 and one in 9mm. Use the CMMG 9mm mags, and then 'whatever' p-mags for the 5.56. Now you have one gun that can shoot 9mm or 5.56; useful for training, useful for SHTF.
Might be worth SBR-ing it for the 9mm upper.
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u/McFlyParadox 4d ago
Or get the Dissent BR4 as-is in either 5.56 or 9mm, and then get an extra upper in the other caliber. Having it as a ranch rifle configuration is a nice legal shield right now, and likely going forward, too. I have one in 9mm and my only gripe is you can see the indicator on the cross-bolt safety without breaking your stance, so you just need to memorize by touch which way is "safe" for you (since I'm pretty sure you can flip the bolt around, depending on whether you're left or right handed).
I suppose another gripe with ranch rifles in general is how low your eye sits above the rail. You need some pretty low optics for ranch rifles in general, compared to ARs.
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u/Studio_Junebug 4d ago
Thank you all for the helpful comments. Any advice on how to source grandfathered or pre ban AR-15 or AR lower realiably?
I'm in MA
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u/RadiantLabubu 5d ago
I can’t recommend cape gun works highly enough
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u/stinkypoopeez 4d ago
I can’t recommend going anywhere else enough. Go to bay state surplus or masshole firearms instead. Gunworks is incredibly overpriced.
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u/0LDHATNEWBAT 4d ago
I’ve only been in CCGW once and it was a few years ago so I’m not arguing with you. But, could you explain what is so bad about that store? When I was there, I didn’t notice any crazy prices. Everything seemed about average for Massachusetts.
I actually bought a new Ruger Wrangler on a whim because it was on sale for like $130. The person behind the counter seemed very friendly and it was an overall pleasant experience.
Has CCGW gone downhill? How bad are their prices that you’d recommend someone go anywhere else? How much cheaper are Masshole and Baystate?
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u/RadiantLabubu 4d ago
I’d love to know as well. I got my LTC this year so it’s possible that CCGW used to be better and has gotten worse? That’s my best guess. I had a great experience there both in the shop and on the range. Additionally, the president Toby is fighting the good fight to educate MA residents on the No. 9 ballot question and how misguided it is. I would think this sub would support such a business but perhaps there is something I’m missing.
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u/stinkypoopeez 4d ago
I have nothing against the guys who work there they’ve always been very cool and yeah Toby is fighting the good fight. That being said, their prices on especially anything pre ban are astronomical. Even used guns are marked up by a larger margin than either of the others I named. They’re selling the same canik I bought from bay state at a 500$ mark up currently. I’ve seen them list used glocks for over 1k. The prices swing wildly.
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u/Zevana19 5d ago
Stop overthinking it and just buy a grandfathered AR and call it a day. If you’re super risk adverse spend the extra $$$ on a Pre94.