Handguns, Private Transfers, and age.

[Joshua C]

Alright, something's been confusing me lately. Actually, for quite a while.

This is all the *official* word regarding private hangun tranfers and age that I could find
"It shall be unlawful for a person to sell, deliver, or otherwise transfer to a person who the transferor knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a juvenile any handgun or ammunition for a handgun. A juvenile is defined as someone under 18 years of age."

That's from the ATF website, from a document from last year. Yet, I kep getting told 21 for a private handgun transfer. So, what's the federal statute I'm missing?

 

[creitzel]

My understanding, is that for federal law on handguns, the rule is 18 for private sales, and 21 for sales from an FFL. i.e. if you are 18, you can buy a gun from a private individual, but you have to be 21 to purchase from an FFL.

If you are being told 21 for a private handgun sale, it is probably because of a state law. States can and do make more restrictive laws regarding gun transactions.

 

[Car Knocker]

Chris is correct. Research your state laws.

 

[Joshua C]

Well, someone's getting there info wrong, because it's 18 in this state.

 

[Car Knocker]

There you go, then!

By the way, the pertinent federal laws are 18 USC 922(b)(1) and 18 USC 922(x)(1).

 

[Joshua C]

In case anyone's wondering, I'm 19 and was turned away by a private collector at the Kenny Woods gun show in Lexington yesterday after looking at a Colt DA .38 special revolver. Meh, just steered me to another collector where I acquired a Mosin Nagant.

 

[mainmech48]

While the law in your state may permit the sale of a handgun to persons over 18, there's nothing in it that requires anyone to do so. Given the proliferation of phoney IDs, their current level of sophistication, the fact that you were at a 'Gun Show', and the demonstrated willingness of some elements within the BATF to try and trap the unwary into a media-worthy 'crime', I think you can see where some folks would rather err to the cautious side.

 

[Joshua C]

It's also been outside of gun shows that I've had such issues.

Edit: i should say that I have no problem when it's personal policiy. But when they pass it off as law.....


(also, a gun show, there's a chance that the promoters have their own set of policies).