Category: A Victory!
The orthopedic Surgeons out there must love these for their job security that they provide! Grumpy
It all starts in Africa …
I guess I was first exposed to large wooden crates from watching Looney Tunes Road Runner cartoons. Poor nemesis cartoon character Wile E. Coyote would order some hair-brained contraption from Acme, Inc. by letter, and a large crate would magically appear in minutes. Talk about great service!
My next exposure to large freight was “A Christmas Story” when the father wins a contest and a large crate appears. The father sees the stenciled Fragile, painted on the crate and famously mispronounces it, “Fragilly.”
It’s a classic line for the fishnet stockinged leg lamp he unveils to his boy’s bewilderment and his wife’s dismay. Anyway, I never thought I’d receive a large, wooden freighted crate. Roughly 40 years later, a trip to Africa presented itself in 2019, to be exact. I was invited to hunt in Botswana. It was closed to hunting for years and was just reopened because of a new government regime change.
It was my first international trip. John Sheehan, a fellow writer for GUNS Magazine, was a part-time professional hunter for an outfit in Botswana and invited me on a two-week safari. Since it was my first trip abroad, he suggested using camp guns rather than dealing with bringing my own. It was a wise move for a first-time trip, making the experience easier and more relaxing.
Heads, horns and hides are prepared for the Taxidermist.
After the taxidermist, the heads/horns are crated for shipping.
Kalahari Safari
I’ll never forget my first trip. From the flight to the drive to camp, and enjoying my first starlit sky over a cold beverage. There’s a saying that if you wish to return to Africa, you must see the Southern Cross constellation. Believe me, I was asking John to point it out for me, as Africa is a special, magical place for many. I think you either love it, or don’t care for Africa. There’s no in- between. I think if you ever wondered what the world was like when it was created, Africa would be a good place to go, as much of it is still untouched.
I went to Botswana the last week in August through the first week in September. This is springtime in the Southern Hemisphere and a beautiful time to be in Africa. The hunt was an unadulterated success. Then COVID hit. We all got sick in camp, but we recovered, figuring it was just the flu. Within months, the border between Botswana and South Africa (SA) closed for 2 years. My hides and skins were in the salt room, awaiting transit to South Africa. Other circumstances occurred, further delaying transport of my trophies.
There’s a saying in Africa called TIA. It stands for THIS IS AFRICA! It means whatever happens, happens; just go with the flow, and it will eventually work out. My trophies eventually make it from South Africa to a taxidermist, and the regular two-year wait starts. This includes completing the taxidermy work and then crating the heads for shipment.
This is where the first debate starts. Are you better off having the taxidermy work done in Africa or the States? Shipping will be cheaper since your crate will be smaller, but taxidermy is cheaper in Africa than in the States.
It’s basically a wash and up to you, price-wise. I chose to have the taxidermy completed in Africa. Unfortunately, the long delay caused hair slippage on all my hides, meaning I needed replacements.
I ended up mounting only half my heads to save costs on replacement hides. Something to consider when choosing where to get your work done. Replacement hides are cheaper in Africa than in the States.
The crate top is opened and memories come flooding out as you admire your trophies.
Bon Voyage
My trophies were crated and shipped in a large shipping container. The container must be full to ship; otherwise, it’s delayed until it is loaded on the vessel.
From South Africa, it heads to Houston, Texas, where NFG inspects and stamps the heads for clearance. My heads were then flown to a local airport and then freighted to my house. Ironically, it was a total surprise when they arrived (TIA), and I was leaving for Africa the following day for another hunt. Anyway, six years later, my Botswana trophies found their way home.
Hanging the heads can take a lot of work.
Uncrating
It’s the big moment! The crates are assembled with plywood and screws. A cordless drill comes in quite handy for this task. Let me tell you, when you finally pop the lid, it’s all worth it! The long wait and the expense of taxidermy and shipping fade as memories flood out of your crate. These are your animals, and they’ve made the long journey to their new home, where you’ll admire and love them. Many will think you’re Looney Tunes for doing so, but that doesn’t matter.
These heads represent a long trip and how far you’re willing to go to do something you love. Some won’t understand, other than another hunter, why your memories mean so much hanging on your wall. That’s fine. To each their own. Let me tell you, it’s a pure pleasure and honor to admire these beautiful critters.
Once hung, you’ll be able to admire them daily.
Hung Up
Most have hung whitetail deer in their homes. Hanging African heads is a different animal, har har! The shoulder mounts are huge. We built an addition on our house over 20 years ago, tying into the roofline of the second-story house. This provided an 18-foot ceiling, sloping down to 8 feet on the far end, 20 feet away.
Luckily, a contractor friend helped me hang the heads using scaffolding. It’s the safest way to hang the large heads. Horns are slipped off larger species to make shipping more efficient, then slipped back on during hanging.
Then another crate appears.
Recycle Projects
The plywood crates/screws are great for making shelves, further reminding you of your African Safari. The stenciled paint of the taxidermist, your name, and the African address add mystery and coolness to any project you choose to make. I’ve made a few shelves for the garage from my first shipment, and will make larger, heavier ones with this shipment. Crate goodies are the gift that keeps on giving.
More memories arrive.
It never gets old.
A beer before departing for another trip to Africa.
The Do Over
Would I do it again? You betcha! I have no regrets and am enjoying my African animals immensely. Admittedly, it’s not for everyone, but for those who understand, it’s pretty darn cool!
Gee whiz, so what part of sex starved Sailors & Marines does one not understand?
What with our young, fit kids, who having had no shore leave for past 9 months. While also operating in a very high stress job during a period of WAR TIME !
So maybe it could be that they might want to let their hair down and have some well earned fun?
Nah, lets start up a Bible study group or a spelling bee instead. I bet they would just love that!
Now I am willing to bet that Towns that have Fleet Week say like NYC, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Angeles etc. Are not surprised at all by what is going on there.
That and the only folks I really feel sorry for are the medical folks. Who will have to deal with a huge spike in V.D. / S.T.D.S. and hepatitis from all the tattoos gotten. When the troops come back aboard in a while.
That and the Commanding officers who will have to spend a very long time doing Mast. (I.E. Hand out punishments)
Also I pity the Admiral who will have to placate the pissed off natives. But that is why they draw the big bucks. Grumpy
Massachusetts cannot make a Second Amendment lawsuit disappear simply by issuing carry permits after it has already kept lawful citizens disarmed for months.
That is the central takeaway from a federal judge’s refusal to dismiss the core claims in Lawson v. Campbell, a lawsuit brought by the Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners Action League, and three nonresident gun owners challenging Massachusetts’ burdensome License to Carry process.
Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper allowed the plaintiffs’ as-applied Second Amendment claim and their Fourteenth Amendment equal-protection claim to proceed. The decision is not a final ruling that Massachusetts violated the Constitution, but it is a significant procedural victory that moves the case toward discovery—and forces the Commonwealth to defend how its licensing system actually operates.
Massachusetts may call its system “shall issue.” According to the lawsuit, however, the state’s one-year nonresident licenses, recurring delays, and refusal to provide a renewal grace period leave lawful gun owners unable to carry for extended periods year after year.
That is not a minor administrative inconvenience. It is government-imposed disarmament.
One-Year Permits and Months of Waiting
Massachusetts treats nonresident gun owners far more harshly than its own residents.
A resident License to Carry can remain valid for six years. A nonresident generally receives a temporary license lasting only one year. Both are charged a $100 application or renewal fee, meaning a nonresident may pay the same amount every year that a resident pays once every six years.
New nonresident applicants must also appear in person at the Firearms Records Bureau in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Applicants face background checks, fingerprinting, training requirements, and other bureaucratic demands before receiving government permission to exercise a right protected by the Constitution.
Massachusetts law generally requires a licensing authority to approve or deny an application within 40 days. The state’s own website reportedly warns nonresidents that processing may take as long as 90 days. The plaintiffs allege even longer delays.
Brian Burns, a Florida resident who maintains a home in Massachusetts, has held at least four nonresident licenses. According to the complaint, one timely renewal was delayed so badly that his new license was not issued until nearly six months after the previous license expired.
Christopher Penta, a New Hampshire resident who frequently travels into Massachusetts for work and family visits, has maintained a nonresident license since 2018. He alleges that one renewal was issued almost two months after his existing license expired.
Russell Lawson Jr., a New York resident who owns a Massachusetts hunting cabin, applied for his first nonresident license in January 2025. His earliest interview was scheduled for June. Lawson missed that appointment because of an unexpected work obligation, and the state rescheduled him for October. Officials subsequently requested information concerning an undisclosed out-of-state charge. He eventually received his license in March 2026.
Although Lawson’s individual application involved additional complications, the court found that the plaintiffs collectively alleged a recurring licensing problem sufficient to keep the lawsuit alive.
Late Approval Does Not Erase the Injury
Massachusetts argued that the case was moot because the individual plaintiffs eventually received their licenses. Judge Casper rejected that position.
The court recognized that sufficiently long licensing delays can themselves constitute constitutional injuries. A citizen who cannot legally carry a firearm for self-defense while Massachusetts sits on his application has lost the exercise of that right during the delay. A permit issued months later cannot restore the days when he was forced to travel disarmed.
The judge also found that the delays could qualify as “capable of repetition, yet evading review.” Nonresident licenses must be renewed annually, the individual plaintiffs intend to continue traveling to Massachusetts, and Burns and Penta allege that they have already experienced recurring renewal delays.
Massachusetts cannot run out the clock, issue the permit after a lawsuit begins, and then claim there is nothing left for a federal court to review.
That point reaches beyond this case. AmmoLand recently covered similar permit-delay litigation involving the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Anti-gun jurisdictions lost their ability to demand a special need for self-defense after New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. Bureaucratic delay cannot become the replacement for the discretionary carry bans that Bruen struck down.
Second Amendment Claim Moves Forward
The court dismissed the plaintiffs’ facial challenge to the Massachusetts licensing system. A facial challenge requires showing that the law is unconstitutional in every application, and Judge Casper concluded that the plaintiffs had not cleared that demanding hurdle.
The as-applied challenge is another matter. The judge found that the plaintiffs plausibly alleged delays extending well beyond Massachusetts’ 40-day statutory period. When those delays are combined with one-year licenses and no grace period, the system can deprive nonresidents of their right to carry.
The court declined to establish a bright-line rule defining exactly when a licensing delay becomes unconstitutional. It did, however, reject Massachusetts’ argument that only delays lasting 18 months or several years can implicate the Second Amendment.
Most importantly under Bruen, Massachusetts did not identify a historical tradition supporting the alleged delays. The as-applied Second Amendment claim therefore survived the motion to dismiss.
Nonresidents Face Arrest While Residents Receive Protection
The plaintiffs’ equal-protection claim also survived. Massachusetts residents receive a grace period when they submit timely renewal applications. Nonresidents do not. When a temporary nonresident license expires, its holder can be forced to choose between entering Massachusetts disarmed or carrying under threat of arrest and prosecution.
The court found that this alleged distinction could penalize the constitutional right to interstate travel. Because the plaintiffs plausibly alleged an underlying Second Amendment injury, Judge Casper considered the application of strict scrutiny rather than automatically accepting any justification Massachusetts could invent.
The Commonwealth identified its general interest in public safety and verifying applicants’ eligibility. It did not explain why denying nonresidents a grace period—or subjecting them to delays beyond the statutory deadline—was narrowly tailored to serve that interest.
The judge consequently refused to dismiss the equal-protection claim.
Rights Do Not Stop at State Lines
The Second Amendment Foundation correctly described the ruling as a major procedural advance.
“Massachusetts begrudgingly makes carry permits available for out-of-state residents,” SAF Senior Director of Legal Operations Bill Sack said, while making the annual process unconstitutionally burdensome.
SAF founder Alan Gottlieb put the larger principle more plainly: “The Constitution doesn’t know state lines, and neither do our rights.”
AmmoLand has previously warned that forcing Americans to obtain separate government permission from every hostile jurisdiction they might visit turns interstate travel into a legal minefield. Massachusetts’ treatment of nonresidents has already produced extensive litigation, including the cases discussed in our earlier coverage of the Commonwealth’s cross-border carry restrictions and its supposedly reformed nonresident licensing system.
The court also dismissed the plaintiffs’ claim under the Article IV Privileges and Immunities Clause. That loss and the dismissal of the facial Second Amendment claim should not be ignored. But neither changes the importance of what survived.
A permit does not create the right to bear arms. The right existed before Massachusetts imposed its application, fee, fingerprinting, interview, and annual renewal requirements.
When the government prevents a qualified citizen from carrying for months, the constitutional injury occurs during every day of forced disarmament. Massachusetts will now have to defend that conduct instead of burying the case under a stack of late-issued permits.
About Duncan Johnson:
Duncan Johnson is a lifelong firearms enthusiast and unwavering defender of the Second Amendment—where “shall not be infringed” means exactly what it says. A graduate of George Mason University, he enjoys competing in local USPSA and multi-gun competitions whenever he’s not covering the latest in gun rights and firearm policy.
Duncan is a regular contributor and editor-in-chief for AmmoLand News and is responsible for AmmoLand’s daily gun-rights reporting and industry coverage.