A man accidentally shot his friend in the neck as he showed off his new weapon, police say.

Alec Augustino Braz, 22, mistakenly fired his pistol at his 19-year-old friend at around 3.15pm on Saturday, June 1.

The shooting happened not long after Braz got his license to carry a gun, Newsweek reports.

Woburn Police Department near Boston in Massachusetts revealed in a statement that Braz is suspected of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a building, improper storage of a firearm, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Police handcuffed Braz on multiple firearm offences shortly after the shooting.

Police explained that Braz was showing the gun to his friend in his Woburn home on Saturday afternoon when he accidentally pulled the trigger on his guest who has not been named.

Another friend then drove the victim to a local hospital with injuries which the police department report to be non-life-threatening.

According to Newsweek, a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol was seized from Braz by officers from the Woburn Police Department following the shooting on Saturday.

Braz also had his newly gained gun license suspended by police chief Robert F Rufo Jr.