When it comes to firearms, our country has a history of having a two-tiered system in place. Now, today I’m not talking about the racist roots of gun control which we’ve talked about before (and which anti-2A fanatics are both clueless about and should be ashamed of).
No, the two-tiered system that I’m referring to today has prevented legal adults under the age of 21 from being able to buy handguns. Never mind that an 18 year old can buy a rifle or can enroll in the military to be trained with and carry firearms.
It made no sense (a statement that can be made about all gun control).
A recent court ruling may have finally gotten rid of that specific two-tiered system, though (hat tip to here for the lead). Luke McCoy writes,
In a landmark ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has struck down a federal law prohibiting licensed gun dealers from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-old adults, declaring it unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. The decision, issued on January 30, 2025, reverses a lower court ruling and represents a major victory for gun rights advocates.
That’s fantastic news. Legal adults that have all of the responsibilities of adulthood under the law shouldn’t be deprived of any of the rights of an adult by the government.
It’s simple logic, really.
Before you get too excited, though, McCoy continues:
This ruling strikes down the federal prohibition on licensed handgun sales to 18-to-20-year-olds within the Fifth Circuit, which covers Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. However, the decision could be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting the stage for a broader national ruling on the issue.
At the time of this writing, we don’t know what will happen from here. It seems like a distinct possibility, based on firearms rulings by the Supreme Court over the last few years, that if this is appealed, we could have a decision from the Supreme Court enshrining this ruling across the nation.
I’d love to see that happen to settle the issue once and for all.
