Laws of the Colony of Massachusetts 1633, 37. § 2. And it is ordered, that no person whatsoever, shall henceforth buy land of any Indian without license first had and obtained of the general court, and if any offend herein, such land so bought shall be forfeited to the country. Nor shall any person sell, give or barter, directly or indirectly, any gun or guns, powder, bullets, shot, lead, to any Indian whatsoever, or to any person inhabiting out of this jurisdiction: Nor shall any amend or repair any gun belonging to any Indian, nor shall sell any armor or …

Prescriptions, (1651) § 2. And it is further ordered; that no person (except for the defence of themselves and their vessels at Sea) shall transport any gunpowder out of this jurisdiction, without license first obtained from some two of the Magistrates, upon penalty of forfeiting all such powder as shall be transporting or transported, or the value thereof.

Laws of Plymouth Colony (1656). And likewise that no Indian shall discharge any gun on the Lords day at any thing to the breach of the Sabbath and disturbance of the English; as they will answer it at their peril.

Colony Laws. § 4. Be it also enacted by the authority of this court, that no masters of ships, or seamen, having their vessels riding within any of our harbors in this jurisdiction, shall presume to drink healths, or suffer any healths to be drunk within their vessels by day or night, or to shoot off any gun after the daylight is past, or on the sabbath day, on penalty for every health twenty shillings, and for every gun so shot twenty shillings.

Laws of Plymouth Colony (1671). Whereas several persons have been greatly endangered by setting of guns, it is enacted by the Court and the authority thereof that none shall sett any guns except in enclosures and that the gun be sufficiently enclosed so as it be secure from hurting man or beast and that he that setteth the gun do give warning or notice thereof to all the neighbors on penalty of paying a fine of five pounds to the use of the Colony for every default.

[Laws of the Colony of Plymouth] (1675). It is ordered by the Court, that whoever shall shoot of any gun on any necessary occasion, or at any game whatsoever, except at an Indian or a wolf, shall forfeit five shillings for every such shot, till further liberty shall be given.

Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth (1675). Forasmuch as by frequent and sad experience it is found, that selling etc., of arms and ammunition to the Indians is very poisonous and destructive to the English, it is therefore ordered, decreed, and enacted by the council of war for this jurisdiction, that whosoever shall be found to sell, barter, or give, directly or indirectly, any gun or guns, or ammunition of any kind to any Indian or Indians, and the same legally proved against them, every such person or persons shall be put to death, and in defect of full …

§ 1. That all male persons from sixteen years of age to sixty, (other than such as are herein after excepted), shall bear arms, and duly attend all musters and military exercises of the respective troops and companies where they are listed . . . § 5 That every listed solider and other householder (except troopers) shall be always provided with a well fixed firelock musket, or musket or bastard musket bore . . .

Further it is Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every Justice of the Peace in the County where the Offence is committed , may cause to be staid and arrested all Affrayers, Rioters, Disturbers, or Breakers of the Peace, and such as shall ride or go armed Offensively before any of their Majesties Justices, or other Their Officers or Ministers doing their Office or elsewhere.

[Acts of the Province of Massachusetts Bay] (1697) § 3. That no person or persons whatsoever, in any town or garrison, shall presume to discharge or shoot off any gun or guns after the shutting in of the daylight in the evening, or before daylight in the morning, unless in case of alarm, approach of the enemy, or other necessary defense, on pain that every person so offending, and being thereof convicted before one or more of his majestie’s justices of the peace, shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten shillings, one moiety thereof to and for the use …

Province Laws. An Act for Putting the Milita of this Province into a Readiness for Defense of the Same. § 3. Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no person or persons whatsoever in any town or garrison, shall during the time of war, or of keeping a military watch in such town or garrison, presume to discharge or shoot off any gun or guns after the sun’s setting or before the sun’s rising, unless in case of alarm, approach of an enemy, or other necessary defense, on pain that every person, so offending, and being thereof convicted …

That no person or persons, from and after the publication of this Act, may presume to discharge or fire off any gun upon Boston Neck within ten rods of the road or highway leading over the same, on pain of forfeiting and paying the sum of twenty shillings . . . And for the better conviction of persons offending against this Act, it shall be lawful, to and for any Free-holder, to arrest and take into custody any gun so fired off, and render the same to one of the next Justices in Boston, in order to its being produced …

…That, from and after the publication hereof, any person within the town of Boston, that shall presume to keep, in his house or Warehouse, any powder, above what is by law allowed, shall forfeit and pay, for every half-barrel, the sum of five pounds . . . That any person or persons whosoever, that shall throw any squibs, serpents, or rockets, or perform any other fireworks within the streets, . . (shall be fined).

…That if any person or persons shall, at any time after two months from the publication of this act, make use of any boat, canoe, float, raft or other vessel, wherewith to approach to, and shoot at any waterfowl, in any part of this province, he or they so offending, shall each of them forfeit and pay, for every such offence, the sum of forty shillings to the informer. And every such offender shall be, and hereby is prohibited and restrained from using a gun to shoot at waterfowl for the space of three years next after his offence, upon …

And every such offender shall be, and hereby is prohibited and restrained from using a gun to shoot at waterfowl for the space of three years next after his offence, upon the like penalty of forty shillings for each time he shall presume so to offend, to be disposed of in manner as the forfeiture aforementioned.

… That whoever … fight a duel, combat, or engage in a rencounter with rapier, or small-sword, back-sword, pistol, or any other dangerous weapon, to the danger of life, mayhem, or wounding of the parties, or the affray of his Majesty’s good subjects, (although death doth not thereby ensue) and be thereof convicted, by due course of law, before the Court of Assize, or Court of General Sessions of the Peace, in the respective Counties of this Province, shall be punished by fine, not exceeding a hundred pounds, imprisonment, not exceeding six months, or corporally punished…

… That, from and after the publication of this Act, no gunpowder shall be kept on board any ship, or other vessel, lying to or grounded at any wharf within the port of Boston. And if any gunpowder shall be found on board such ship or vessel lying aground, as aforesaid, such powder shall be liable to confiscation, and under the same penalty, as if it were found lying in any house or warehouse. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no powder be carried through any town upon trucks, under the penalty of ten shillings per …

…That whoever from and after the publication of this Act shall be so hardy and wicked as to fight a duel, or for private malice, displeasure, fury or revenge, voluntarily engage in a rencounter, with rapier or small-sword, backsword, pistol or any other dangerous weapon, to the hazard of life, mayhem, or wounding of the parties, or the affray of his Majesty’s good subjects, although death doth not thereby ensue; or shall by word, message, or any other way, challenge another to fight a duel, or shall accept a challenge, although no duel be fought, or shall any ways abet, …

§ 1. That no person or persons, from and after the publication of this act, shall presume to discharge or fire off any cannon laden with shot, from any wharf or vessel . . . (within certain areas) § 2. That no person shall . . . discharge any gun or pistol, charged with shot or ball, in the town of Boston, or in any part of the Harbor . . . And for the more effectual conviction of any person or persons so offending, it shall be lawful for any person to seize and take into custody any gun …

If any persons to the number of twelve or more, being armed with clubs or other weapons. . . shall be unlawfully, riotously, or tumultuously assembled . . . (Read riot act, if don’t disperse) . . . It shall be lawful for every officer . . . to seize such persons, and carry them before a justice of the peace; and if such persons shall be killed or hurt by reason of their resisting . . . officers and their assistants shall be indemnified and held guiltless.

… That the Captain or Chief Officer of each military foot company, shall instruct and employ his Company in military exercises six days in a year . . . and on each of said days he shall make a strict enquiry into the state of the arms and ammunition of his Company . . . that every person from the age of sixteen to sixty, not exempted by law, shall appear with arms and ammunition according to law, and attend his duty each of the aforesaid days. . .

Laws of the Colony of Massachusetts, That notwithstanding the ancient law of the country, made in the year 1633, that no person should sell any arms or ammunition to any Indian upon penalty of 10l. for every gun, 5l. for a pound of powder, and 40s. for a pound of shot, yet the government of the Massachusetts in the year 1657, upon the design to monopolize the whole Indian trade did publish and declare that the trade of furs and peltry with the Indians in their jurisdiction did solely and properly belong to their commonwealth and not to every indifferent …

§ 1. . . That that part of the militia of this Colony, commonly called the Training-Band, shall be constituted of all the able-bodied male persons therein, from sixteen years old to fifty [excepting Quakers and others]. . . § 7. . . That each and every officer, and private soldier of said militia, not under the controul of parents, master, or gaurdians, and being of sufficient ability therefor, in the judgement of the select-men if the town wherein he has his usual place of abode, shall equip himself, and be constantly provided with a good firearm. . . § …

Chap. VII An Act for the executing in the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, in New England, one Resolve of the American Congress, dated March 14, 1776, recommending the disarming of such persons as are notoriously disaffected to the cause of America, or who refuse to associate to defend by arms the United American Colonies, against the hostile attemps of the British fleets and armies, and for the restraining and punishing persons who are inimical to the rights and liberties of the said United Colonies, and for directing the Proceedings therein. Whereas on the fourteenth of March One Thousand Seven …

“That all cannon, swivels, mortars, howitzers, cohorns, fire arms, bombs, grenades, and iron shells of any kind, that shall be found in any dwelling-house, out-house, stable, barn, store, ware-house, shop, or other building, charged with, or having in them any gun-powder, shall be liable to be seized by either of the Firewards of the said Town: And upon complaint made by the said Firewards to the Court of Common Pleas, of such cannon, swivels, mortar, or howitzers, being so found, the Court shall proceed to try the merits of such complaint by a jury; and if the jury shall find …