Worcester Gun Dealer Won't Sell Illegal Handguns

WORCESTER, MA— A Worcester gun dealer agreed to bring its policies into compliance with state law and to pay up to $35,000 for selling handguns that are not listed on the state’s approved roster - including Glocks, which do not meet Massachusetts safety regulations.

Attorney General Maura Healey announced that the business practices of The Gun Parlor had violated state laws, including the sale of handguns manufactured by Glock that don't have a load indicator or magazine safety disconnect.

“In Massachusetts, we rely on gun dealers to help ensure responsible gun ownership and use by following the law,” AG Healey said in a statement. “Today’s agreement requires this Worcester gun dealer to come into compliance with our firearm safety laws and regulations, and do its part to prevent access to unsafe and illegal weapons in our communities."

The safety disconnect is required by handgun safety regulations, and the sale of firearms that have not met the statutory safety testing requirements to be listed on the state’s approved handgun roster.

The Gun Parlor failed to provide legally mandated safety warnings to customers, according to the AG investigation, did not properly verify that handguns sold to law enforcement and military personnel were being purchased for official duties, and sold handguns with a barrel length shorter than three inches to consumers without first providing disclosures required under state regulations about the potentially limited accuracy of such weapons.

Under the terms of the settlement, The Gun Parlor is required to pay $10,000 in attorney’s fees and costs associated with the investigation, along with an additional $25,000 in penalties for the illegal sale of Glock handguns, which will not be collected if The Gun Parlor complies with the settlement for two years.

The Gun Parlor has agreed to end sales of handguns that are not permitted to be sold in Massachusetts, to accurately advertise its inventory online in order to avoid implying that illegal handguns are available, and to provide proper disclosures and safety warnings to customers before purchasing and operating a legal firearm.

In December 2015, AG Healey sent a letter to all 350 state gun dealers reminding them of their obligations under state law. Last year, she led a multi-state effort urging Congress to lift the ban on gun-violence research by the Centers for Disease Control and is working with medical professionals to help develop resources for physicians to aid conversations with their patients about guns in the home.

Last July, AG Healey issued a notice to gun manufacturers and licensed dealers in Massachusetts, warning that her office is stepping up enforcement of the state’s assault weapons ban, including a crackdown on new sales of copycat weapons. Since then, illegal sales of assault weapons have stopped in the state.

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