Can teenagers buy/own guns? Just info needed, No debate please.

[shortbun]

DS is doing a report on thrill killing of animals. It seems it's crime that is escalating. Teens have reportedly taken guns or bats, killed animals-deer, antelope and other animals and left them. One of the solutions mentioned in his research was to ban teens from owning guns. Can a teen technically own a gun? Does this vary from state to state? Calling on my NRA Dis members for some info only. I am not interested in debating the issue.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, the law varies from state to state, and the laws on long guns are more liberal than on handguns. Several states only regulate the minimum age to PURCHASE a firearm, not possess one. The most common minimum age to purchase is 18 for a long gun, and 21 for a handgun. The federal government also sets minimum ages for purchase.

However, for a school paper, your son shouldn't be taking the word of someone on a message board. The NRA has a summary of the laws, and so does the website of the Legal Community Against Violence. Have him take a look.

Just FYI, where I grew up in Louisiana, the traditional gift for a country boy's 12th birthday was his first personal rifle; normally a .22 That is still a very common tradition in areas where boys start hunting with their older male relatives as soon as they are old enough to pass a firearms safety course, and big enough stay on their feet when the rifle recoils.

 

[FireDancer]

Anyone who can catch and kill a deer or antelope with a bat may be sick but they are welcome to run a relay with me any day.

 

[SAHDad]

Anyone who can catch and kill a deer or antelope with a bat may be sick but they are welcome to run a relay with me any day.

They could be persistence hunters though. Supposedly, you don't have to run real fast to run a deer into the ground, but you do need to run for several hours in order to do it.

Or the deer could be like the ones around here - completely without fear when it comes to people. I have gotten almost within arms reach of some, and have been within 20 feet of a few while mowing my lawn.