Age requirement

[ATBackPackin]

18

If you are mature enough to enter a legal contract (by yourself) and to be tried as an adult should you break the law, then you should also have all the freedoms and benefits like the rest of the adults.

PERIOD!

 

[Yarddog]

In the '70's a 17 Y/O could go in the army, With parents permition ; )PS & could drink on post.
Y/D

 

[AZ]

I am only 19 already own a handgun along with my rifles. My father bought it for me and it seems nonsensical that I can walk into a store and buy a rifle or shotgun as I routinely do but am prohibited from buying both handguns and handgun ammo. You can trust someone my age to buy, own and operate an AR 15, a tactical shotgun and a long range rifle but not a handgun? The logic behind this law somehow escapes me.

 

[Liberty1776]

Well, things are different now. I grew up on a small farm, and lately have thought a lot about what my Dad did with us. I realize now that he assumed responsiblity on us as much as he taught us responsibility. He'd say - "I need you to do this" and my brother and I would just naturally figure out how to do the task, with dang minimal "hand-holding" on our father's part. He was just too darn busy doing something else that needed to be done. Farms are like that. At any rate, pre-68, my older brother and I (16 and 14) went to the local flea market and bought ourselves a single shot Remington .22. We brought it home and that was about it. I can't remember if we even showed it to our parents but they knew we had it when we started shooting it (appropriately). In thousands of rounds fired there was never a problem, never an accident. Of course, in those days our local YMCA had a .22 marksmanship program, too. Yep, things are different now. I miss the good old days...

 

[clancy12]

Many people are saying that parents can buy guns for their kids until they're 18/21. What if the parents can't pass a background check? Just because the parents are irresponsible and have made poor choices shouldn't mean that the child has to wait until they're older to purchase a gun. In some cases, a 14/15/16 yo kid is more responsible than their parents. Not all cases, that's for sure. Just a hypothetical.

 

[medalguy]

I received my first .22 rifle when I was 8, I believe. Still have it at 64.

I purchased my first long gun at the age of 16 from a pawn shop. It was a Swiss Vetterli .41 RF, Model 1878. It wasn't in the best condition, so I stripped it, reblued it, refinished the stock, and started shooting it. Still shoot it although the ammo is decidedly more difficult to locate now. That started me down the road to ruin my wife would say.

I think age is a matter of maturity. I knew kids at 16 who were certainly mature enough to purchase or own a fireaarm, but now at 64 I know some adults to whom I would have a difficult time justifying selling a firearm.

 

[Bhamrichard]

some 12 year olds are responsible. I'm just saying kids will be kids, and if your kid did not have to be under any adult supervision,

I can't tell you how many times myself and my childhood best friend (at 12 years old) would grab our .22's and head to the woods at the end of my street. We both had been hammered on from an early age, this is a WEAPON, it is not a TOY, and we both acted accordingly.

So many parents these days think the gubment should be raising their children. Proper, responsible children, are raised by proper and responsible parents..

 

[Olevern]

I think back when I was a lad (fiftys), parents had more of a handle on what their children were doing. I know I wouldn't think of ordering a firearm from mail order (although it was possible back then) without my father's permission. BTW, he did give me permission to purchase a surplus mod. 98 mauser and a case of 600 rds. of ball ammo with my earnings working on an adjacent farm when I was 13. Case of ammo lasted two days after it came in (we had our own range on our farm) Today, kids are planning mass shootings at their schools and the parents haven't a clue.

 

[Neverwinter]

What we need is for the concept of personal responsibility to be restored and about 99% of the government to go away.

That leaves enough for NASA and Planned Parenthood while getting rid of all those other useless programs.

Make the age requirement 18 for all firearms. Increase the driving age while we're at it.

 

[IcemanUnlimited]

Purchase firearms on your own, even handguns & handgun ammo should be 18... Hitting the range or hunting or whatever should be up to the parents until then.

 

[JohnBiltz]

18 seems reasonable just because that lets the parents control. But me and my buddies used to go hunting on our own when we were 16. We'd have all our gear and guns in the school parking lot and head out after our last period. No one thought a thing about it. I can't help but think those were better times.

 

[SN13]

The parents have become more irresponsible

Children who don't know pain, don't avoid actions that cause pain.

When I was a young child, i did stupid things, but I did them once.

I touched a hot stove ONCE.
I grabbed a hot iron ONCE.
I bit my mom, who responded by biting me back, ONCE.
I hit my dad, ONCE.
I put a cat in a toy boat in the goldfish pond, ONCE.

Why did I do these things ONCE? Because after I did it I was greeted by Pain. Either from my own doing or from the doing of my Parents.

When I was a young child, i did good things, and I did them alot.

I got good grades, A LOT.
I was good in sports, A LOT.
I behaved, A LOT.

Why did I do these things A LOT? Because after I did them, I was rewarded with pleasure. Either from my own self accomplishment, or by the praise and rewards from my parents.


At 27, I still feel that Pain and Pleasure are the only guides to my actions, but now, i can see beyond the next 5 minutes, which I could NOT as an under 18 year old. I can see that doing something stupid might not cause physical pain but would cause me pain in other ways. Because of this, I do not break the law, no matter how inane the law feels.


TL;DR

Guns should have no restrictions based on age once a person is determined to be an Adult. 18. I'd love to say that there should be no age restrictions at all, but parents are FAIL these days.

 

[xfyrfiter]

I absolutely believe that if you can vote, join military,pay income taxes,etc. you shouild be allowed to own a firearm. If proven that you can't handle the responsibility of these actions, then you should have the right revoked. This goes for older gunowners also,ie. the ones who shoot roadsigns, and in my area petroglyphs or other things that are not a target.

 

[ForumSurfer]

This goes for older gunowners also,ie. the ones who shoot roadsigns, and in my area petroglyphs or other things that are not a target.

Every year at the start of hunting season...someone shoots the fiber junction box close to the river. I assume he uses it to sight in his deer rifle. Unfortunately this junction box happens to have multiple carriers in it and always takes down a leg and causes routes to flap and re-route, often bringing down ISP's and tel-co's in the immediate area. Why the same guy insists on shooting it in the same time frame and the same carriers haven't elected to bury it or put up a game cam...I'll never know. This year marked the 5th year.