Are Slingshots Illegal in Massachusetts? Sales, Assault, Minors

Slingshots are effectively illegal to sell or manufacture in Massachusetts, and carrying one can expose you to serious weapons charges. Chapter 269, Section 12 of the General Laws bans the manufacture and sale of both the Y-frame “sling shot” and the weighted “slung shot,” with a single narrow exception for sporting clubs. Carrying a slung shot triggers a separate offense under Section 10 that can carry mandatory prison time.¹²

Two Weapons, One Letter Apart

Massachusetts statutes use two terms that look nearly identical but describe different devices. A sling shot is the Y-shaped frame with an elastic band that launches projectiles. A slung shot is a weighted striking weapon: a heavy ball or weight tied to a cord, swung to strike at close range. Which term appears in which statute changes the analysis.

Section 12, which covers manufacturing and selling, names both weapons.¹ Section 10, which covers carrying, names only the slung shot.² So the carrying statute doesn’t specifically list the Y-frame slingshot. That gap isn’t a clean pass, though. Section 10 also reaches “a billy or other dangerous weapon” carried by someone arrested for a crime or breach of peace, and a prosecutor can argue a slingshot fits that catch-all depending on the circumstances.

Selling or Making a Slingshot

Under Section 12, it is illegal to manufacture, sell, or offer for sale a sling shot, along with a list of other weapons that includes switchblades, blackjacks, and throwing stars. A conviction carries a fine of $50 to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both.¹ The statute targets the supply side directly, which is why you generally won’t find slingshots stocked in Massachusetts retail stores.

The Sporting Club Exception

Section 12 contains one carve-out. Sling shots may be manufactured and sold to clubs or associations that conduct sporting events where sling shots are used.¹ That’s the entire exception. There is nothing in the text for educational use, theatrical props, historical reenactment, or pest control on a farm. Claims that any of those uses are protected don’t come from the statute.

The exception is also limited to manufacture and sale. It says nothing about whether a person who legitimately obtained a slingshot through a sporting club can carry it around outside that context, which is governed by Section 10.

Carrying a Slung Shot

Section 10(b) prohibits carrying a slung shot on your person or under your control in a vehicle. The baseline penalty is two and a half to five years in state prison, or six months to two and a half years in a house of correction, with the state prison sentence carrying a mandatory minimum of two and a half years.²

First-time offenders get a meaningful break. If the court finds the defendant has no prior felony conviction, the judge may instead impose a fine of up to $50 or up to two and a half years in a house of correction.² Whether a defendant qualifies for that alternative depends entirely on prior criminal history, which is why the record matters so much in these cases.

As noted above, the Y-frame slingshot isn’t named in Section 10. It can still be charged through the “other dangerous weapon” language when the person is being arrested for another crime or a breach of the peace.

Using a Slingshot to Hurt Someone

If a slingshot is used in an assault, the charges shift to Chapter 265. Assault by means of a dangerous weapon under Section 15B carries up to five years in state prison, a fine of up to $1,000, or up to two and a half years in a jail or house of correction.³ Those charges stack on top of any weapon-possession charge from Section 10.

The Effect on a Firearms License

A weapons conviction has a second life beyond the sentence itself. Under Chapter 140, Section 131, a conviction for violating any law regulating the possession or transportation of weapons, where imprisonment is a possible penalty, disqualifies you from a Massachusetts License to Carry or Firearms Identification Card.⁴ Because Section 10 carries possible imprisonment, a conviction there is a disqualifier. So does a conviction under Section 12, for the same reason.

If a Minor Is Charged

Weapon offenses involving juveniles go through the Department of Youth Services rather than the adult criminal courts. A juvenile between 14 and 17 charged with a felony weapon offense who meets additional statutory criteria can be classified as a youthful offender, which opens the door to adult-level sentencing including DYS commitment to age 21, a combined DYS and adult sentence, or a full adult sentence.⁵ Juveniles who don’t hit the youthful offender threshold can still face DYS commitment, probation, and a juvenile record. A device many families think of as a toy can produce a real case file.

1
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 269 Section 12 – Manufacturing and Selling Knives, Slung Shots, Swords, Bludgeons and Similar Weapons
2
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 269 Section 10 – Carrying Dangerous Weapons
3
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265 Section 15B – Assault by Means of a Dangerous Weapon
4
Justia Law. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 140 Section 131 – Licenses to Carry Firearms
5
Mass.gov. DYS Juvenile Justice Legal Issues