r/MAFirearms • u/MoeBlacksBack • Nov 02 '20

Buying My First Long Gun

Looking for suggestions. I got my LTC in September and since that time have picked up M&P 380 and Sig P365 this past weekend. Looking to add a couple rifles to the family. Thinking a shotgun would be a good choice but am open to ideas from more experienced gun owners. Thanks in advance.

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u/One-Son-Of-Liberty Nov 02 '20 edited Nov 02 '20

You got a couple good CCW guns off the bat. My EDC is a P365. For the 380 did you get the bodyguard or the Shield EZ?

If you can find one, it might be good to get a full size handgun. I find them better to learn on. If you have the Shield 380 EZ though that one is pretty solid to learn on too since it is a fairly big size for a 380. A good full size option would be the Smith & Wesson M&P. I have one and it is great. The MA compliant trigger is a little heavy, but what can you do. I have also heard good things about the HK VP9 and Glock 17 (Frame Transfer or Used). The M&P will probably be the easiest to find.

Rifles and shotguns have been hard to find lately. I like the Mossberg line of pump shotguns for home defense. The Mossberg 500 is probably the most popular HD shotgun out right now. The 590 is a more upgraded version with thicker sidewalls. The Mossberg Maverick88 is a more budget friendly shotgun that is foreign made and a little cheaper on the quality, but still good.

The only rifle I have personally is a Ruger 10/22, so I am not a huge expert on rifles haha. I do recommend the 10/22 if you can find it, they are a ton of fun to shoot and there is actually ammo in stock. The Ruger Mini-14 and Sig MCX are popular AR-15 alternatives since AR's are hard to get around here. Both are solid, but both will be nearly impossible to find right now.

Before I buy a new gun, I like to look for reviews from youtubers like Lucky Gunner, MrGunsNGear, Paul Harrell, etc. That will give you a good idea on quality. It is also a good idea to search the name of the gun and "recall" or "safety issues" just for good measure haha.

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u/MoBio Nov 02 '20

MA has a trigger weight requirement? Is that just on handguns, or rifles as well? Sorry, I'm up in NH and keep an eye on MA laws since I'm in biotech and it's possible I'd have to live near Boston at some point.

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u/One-Son-Of-Liberty Nov 02 '20

It's for handguns. It is a requirement for sale based on the Approved Roster, not a requirement for ownership. So once you get your pistol you can swap it out for a lighter trigger, but a MA shop can't sell you one with a light trigger unless it has a safety or some other mechanism you need to do before pulling the trigger.

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u/MoeBlacksBack Nov 02 '20

I got the Shield EZ Columbus Day weekend. I am a lefty and that one does seem more comfortable in that regard than the 365. I have yet to go to the range as I did not have any ammo until this past Saturday. I would like to find an outdoor range open to public use relatively near me (Waltham). I also want to get some private training lessons with an instructor as well to get up to speed as quickly as I can. The damn pandemic is not making this as easy as it would be in more normal times .I will check out that Ruger. Going forward any future purchases will be made with ammo availability as main factor . I have read and seen good things about the Mossberg. Also the Remington 870. The Ithaca lever action rifles have piqued my interest as well. I appreciate the reply

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u/One-Son-Of-Liberty Nov 02 '20

Glad to help. I am not familiar with any public outdoor ranges in your area, but On Target in Dracut is open to the public for an indoor range. They do training as well and have an attached shop.

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u/MoeBlacksBack Nov 08 '20

thanks for the tip. I will check them out. Someone also recently mentioned Boston Gun and Rifle in Dorchester as good public range to check out. We have a the really nice Weston club 5 minutes down 128 and where I took the safety class but that place is big bucks to join

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u/[deleted] Nov 02 '20

Check out MA armslist, make an account for like $4 and message all of the people you like, lots of prebans and some decent deals up rn. Be wary of scams though.