You can inherit one when you are just born and it is yours, but to buy one you must be 18 for a private party transfer or 21 for a FFL dealer transfer.
Brian, I read that differently. Take it as two separate statements (which it is):
"It is unlawful to sell a handgun to a person under 21, or any firearm to a person under 18.
This doesn't say "for an FFL to sell a handgun," it says "to sell a handgun." That would seem to include private-party transfers as well as FFL sales.
It is unlawful to furnish any firearm to a person who is under 18 or furnish any handgun to a person under 21, except for lawful hunting, sporting or educational purposes."
In this case, "furnish" doesn't mean "sell," it means "provide," as in "contribute to posession." So when my dad and I used to go to the range, or go hunting, he was furnishing me with firearms. Ownership never transferred, but he provided--handed me--guns, including handguns. This was legal because they were fer lawful hunting and sporting purposes.
The second clause doesn't address ownership--particularly purchase--at all, just the act of making the firearm available. The only thing that seems to address sale is the first clause, which just says no selling handguns to anybody under 21.
Now, here's the question. Mind you, by asking this, I'm certainly not advocating illegal activity, but I'd be interested to know how it would be viewed. Suppose our underage friend asked me to buy a handgun
for him to use, but I retained ownership? Strictly speaking, it wouldn't be a straw purchase, because the original purchaser retains ownership; however, I know how the BATF loves to play games with concepts like "constructive posession." Anybody want to weigh in on that?