Under 21 Handgun

[Tcox]

From my understanding, a person under 21 can have possesion of a handgun and ammunition. Why is it it that its against the law for a person under 21 to purchase ammunition or the handgun? Is this one of those things that you can go to war at 18 but not drink till 3 years later? same goes with a suppressor or class 3 license?

 

[poopgiggle]

From my understanding, a person under 21 can have possesion of a handgun and ammunition.

It's illegal for someone under 21 to purchase a handgun or handgun ammunition, but I believe that someone under 21 can receive these things as gifts. What's screwed up is that people under 21 can buy handgun cartridges so long as they're going to shoot them out of a pistol-caliber carbine.

Or just go to the right store. I was buying 9mm at Academy and the lady says, "you're 18, right?" I said, "well, this is for a pistol so I really need to be 21." She responded, "Oh...you're 21, right?"

Why is it it that its against the law for a person under 21 to purchase ammunition or the handgun?

Because gun laws are stupid.

The ATF has all their rules and regulations on their website if you want to check for trickier stuff like NFA firearms.

 

[Tcox]

Because gun laws are stupid.

LOL nice

Seriously though, is it not rediculous that a 20 year old returning from iraq cannot buy pistol rounds? I love my country and i HIGHLY respect the people that devote their lives to ensure civilian safety, but when it comes to things like this I really want to find who made laws like this and kick him/her in a not so pleasant area of the body.

 

[Soulman]

It's illegal for someone under 21 to purchase a handgun or handgun ammunition, but I believe that someone under 21 can receive these things as gifts. What's screwed up is that people under 21 can buy handgun cartridges so long as they're going to shoot them out of a pistol-caliber carbine.

Or just go to the right store. I was buying 9mm at Academy and the lady says, "you're 18, right?" I said, "well, this is for a pistol so I really need to be 21." She responded, "Oh...you're 21, right?"


Because gun laws are stupid.

The ATF has all their rules and regulations on their website if you want to check for trickier stuff like NFA firearms.

Not true. The 21 only applies if an individual is involving a FFL. If it's a private transaction, anyone that can legally own one 18 or older can purchase the handgun.

 

[Wormydog1724]

Not true. The 21 only applies if an individual is involving a FFL. If it's a private transaction, anyone that can legally own one 18 or older can purchase the handgun.

I purchased a Rugef 40s&w from my brother when I was 19. Took it to a gun show to trade it in on an AR. I stopped at one gentlemans booth and he began questioning how old I was and then if I was here with my dad or somebody. I said no. He said he would think about it. A minute later I see two police officers approaching me. Tell me to lay the case on the table. They begin questioning me. How old I am where I got the pistol blah blah. They then told me it was illegal for someone under 21 to purchase, sell, or have in their possession a handgun. I said ok. They kinds threatened me with jail but then said I should take the pistol home and give it to my daddy until I am 21. I said ok. I took it home and went to a gun show the next weekend and traded it in on an AR. If they were wrong or right I really didn't care because I thought it was stupid I couldn't sell the dang thing.

 

[Big-Tex]

Sports World in tulsa pisses me off cause they kinda know me there and they know I'm not yet 21 so they wouldn't sell me 9mm ammo. I felt like sayin it was for my (insert carbine here) but I couldn't think fast enough and they knew it was for the m&p9c my mom had bought "herself" the day before. and tulsa shooting wont let me shoot my pistol there till I'm 21 and I said "well I can own it at 18" and he says that's their rule. I guess the good pay for the stupid. Oh well.

 

[one-non-blonde]

When my son went to H & H with us when he was under 21, they wouldn't rent a gun to him or let him buy the ammo. We had to to have it in our name and made him pay for it. He was 19 and in the Air Force. The Air Force trusted him with a gun.

 

[Flyboy]

It is not illegal for somebody under 21 to own, shoot, or purchase a handgun.

The way the FFL laws are written, it is illegal for an FFL to transfer a firearm to a person under 21, with the exception that he may transfer a long gun (defined as a shotgun or rifle) to somebody at least 18 years old. As written, the rule is binding upon the FFL, not the purchaser. The distinction matters, then, when the buyer isn't dealing with an FFL.

Go buy your handgun from a private seller. Just be sure you have a plan for when some cop or prosecutor, ignorant of the law, decides to harass you for obeying the law.

 

[Glocktogo]

My mom bought me my first handgun (with my first paycheck from the USMC) at Sports World back in 1984 when I was 18. It was a Browning Hi-Power and I thought I was king of the world. Went all over the place with that pistol and never had an issue.

Yes you can own and possess a handgun at 18, it's just a restriction on FFL licensees regarding sales.

 

[TulsaBandit]

I am a firm believer that the only people that can use the "old enough to go to war, but not old enough to _______" are those people willing to do just that. If an 18 year old joins the service, he or she should be granted by the federal and state government to bypass such "under 21" laws that would normally restrict them. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the military do this in the past when it came to drinking on base?

After BASIC, most 18 year olds have more training with firearms that the average 21+ home protection or even CCW user. Yes, most of that is with a rifle, a .50 cal, a M19, M203, or a M249 (M9's are not used to qualify in most MOS's).