Looking to Buy a Handgun But I’m 19

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Justinww11 said:
I do agree the law is clear to some degree. I know it is legal for me to possess a handgun in my state at my age. But the confusion lies in the jurisdiction of federal and state law regarding obtaining one. I don’t want to have to contact a lawyer unless absolutely necessary but I also don’t want to catch a felony. I’ll just simply do more research.
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Here's another link for you. https://www.atf.gov/questions-and-a...8-and-21-years-age-acquire-handgun-unlicensed
 
BSA1 said:
That may be true but it only costs a stamp to find out. . . .
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No, it doesn't. There's no need for him to waste a stamp, much less the time and energy writing the letter that will be ignored. Attorneys General offer opinions for public officials in their official capacity, such as legislators, not private individuals. Attorneys General represent The State.

What your government (hence, public) agency may or may not have done is wholly irrelevant to that aspect of this discussion. Even if it had gotten an opinion from the AG in your state, that doesn't mean that the KY AG will give him an opinion.
 
bearcreek said:
Here's another link for you. https://www.atf.gov/questions-and-a...8-and-21-years-age-acquire-handgun-unlicensed
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So after a couple hours of research last night to make sure I covered all of my bases, I concluded that I am able to possess a handgun at my age but not allowed to have it concealed on my person or in my truck. I can receive it as a gift, build one, or purchase through a private sale from an individual in my state legally. Now traveling across state borders is something else i will have to look at, though for now i do not plan on using a handgun for anything else but shooting for fun on my farm.
 
Justinww11 said:
Wasn't meant to sound that way. He has been wanting a handgun as well so I figured i could use it to practice until I'm 21 and can purchase my own new pistol
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That's one of the odd (and often misunderstood) things about federal law. He can buy it for himself. He can buy it as a gift for you. He cannot buy it for you on your behalf and call himself the actual purchaser. It sounds like you understand this, and I'm glad to see that.
 
Justinww11 said:
Not to beat a dead horse with this thread but could I buy a complete AR receiver from my local FFL then order a 300Blk pistol kit with a fixed stabilizer and 9” barrel and legally own this AR pistol at my age?
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No. The non-rifle AR receiver will transfer as an "other" and same rules as pistols will apply.

ETA: you can buy a receiver private party the same as you can buy a pistol, however.

Also: do not buy a rifle and make it into a pistol. It wont be a pistol at that point... it'll legally be a short barreled rifle.
 
pdsmith505 said:
No. The non-rifle AR receiver will transfer as an "other" and same rules as pistols will apply.

ETA: you can buy a receiver private party the same as you can buy a pistol, however.

Also: do not buy a rifle and make it into a pistol. It wont be a pistol at that point... it'll legally be a short barreled rifle.
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Makes sense. Thanks for the response
 
Justinww11 said:
Not to beat a dead horse with this thread but could I buy a complete AR receiver from my local FFL then order a 300Blk pistol kit with a fixed stabilizer and 9” barrel and legally own this AR pistol at my age?
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No. pdsmith covered it above. A lower receiver is the same as a pistol when it comes to required age to buy. And just to reinforce what he said. Making a pistol out of a rifle without a tax stamp is a felony. Not a great idea.
 
Justinww11 said:
Not to beat a dead horse with this thread but could I buy a complete AR receiver from my local FFL then order a 300Blk pistol kit with a fixed stabilizer and 9” barrel and legally own this AR pistol at my age?
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You can legally own an AR pistol, just like any other pistol. Same rules apply - you can't get it from a FFL, but any other legal method is fair game.

You can also obviously own a rifle. The problem comes when you take a rifle and turn it into a pistol. It is counter intuitive, but a pistol can become a rifle and then go back to being a pistol, but a gun that starts as a rifle can only be a rifle (legally speaking). The legal definition of a short barreled rifle also includes "pistols made from rifles" so taking a rifle and swapping out everything is just as illegal as if you only swapped out the short upper and left the stock.

What you CAN do is file a form 1 with the ATF, pay your $200 tax, and legally build your own SBR. The NFA doesn't have minimum age. A FFL can't transfer a NFA weapon to someone under 21, but similarly to handguns, you can build one or receive possession of one as long as no FFL is required. For practical purposes, this means you either build it yourself (on a form 1) or you find a non-FFL in the same state who will sell you the NFA weapon (you still have to wait for the form 4). Remember that all the standard NFA rules apply, so you have to do the paperwork and wait for the stamp before you build/take possession.

So yes, if you have the machining chops, you can build your own suppressor before you can buy a pistol from a dealer. You could also conceivably buy a machine gun before you could buy a pistol from a dealer as well. Weird isn't it?
 
bearcreek said:
Doesn't make the slightest bit of sense, IMO, but it is the law. Logic isn't part of it. :scrutiny:
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His response makes sense but the laws are all over the place it seems like. But hey it could be worse. I just didn’t know if stripped receivers can be made into either a rifle or a pistol from the start. So how does one build an ar pistol and not an SBR?
 
Justinww11 said:
His response makes sense but the laws are all over the place it seems like. But hey it could be worse. I just didn’t know if stripped receivers can be made into either a rifle or a pistol from the start. So how does one build an ar pistol and not an SBR?
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You have to start with a receiver that has not been made into a rifle. Best bet is to buy a stripped receiver or an already built pistol from armslist or a forum.
 
Justinww11 said:
His response makes sense but the laws are all over the place it seems like. But hey it could be worse. I just didn’t know if stripped receivers can be made into either a rifle or a pistol from the start. So how does one build an ar pistol and not an SBR?
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The receiver can be built into either a pistol or a rifle, but if it's built into a rifle first, it cannot legally be made into a pistol in the future. If it's built as a pistol first, it can then be switched back and forth at will. It all comes down to the order in which the parts are assembled. If the upper is pinned to the lower before the stock is slid onto the buffer tube, the builder made a pistol first and can change it up whenever he wants. If, however, the stock is slid onto the buffer tube first and then the lower is pinned to the upper, the builder made a rifle first and it can never legally be made into a pistol. The whole thing is absolutely asinine but like I said before, it's the law.
 
bearcreek said:
The receiver can be built into either a pistol or a rifle, but if it's built into a rifle first, it cannot legally be made into a pistol in the future. If it's built as a pistol first, it can then be switched back and forth at will. It all comes down to the order in which the parts are assembled. If the upper is pinned to the lower before the stock is slid onto the buffer tube, the builder made a pistol first and can change it up whenever he wants. If, however, the stock is slid onto the buffer tube first and then the lower is pinned to the upper, the builder made a rifle first and it can never legally be made into a pistol. The whole thing is absolutely asinine but like I said before, it's the law.
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So I can in fact do what I said in my post? Buy a complete receiver that does not have a buffer tube/stock, attach an upper with a barrel under 16” then attach buffer tube and fixed brace and have an AR pistol?
 
Justinww11 said:
So I can in fact do what I said in my post? Buy a complete receiver that does not have a buffer tube/stock, attach an upper with a barrel under 16” then attach buffer tube and fixed brace and have an AR pistol?
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If you bought it from an individual and you were somehow able to verify that they had not assembled the receiver as a rifle first then yes, you could. You can't buy the receiver from a dealer though. Also, just FYI, in order to qualify as a pistol the barrel doesn't have to be under 16 inches. There is no maximum legal barrel length for a pistol.
 
Justinww11 said:
So I can in fact do what I said in my post? Buy a complete receiver that does not have a buffer tube/stock, attach an upper with a barrel under 16” then attach buffer tube and fixed brace and have an AR pistol?
Click to expand...

You, being under 21, may not buy a lower receiver from an FFL regardless of what is attached to it.

You may buy a complete rifle from an FFL, but then would not be able to convert it to a pistol.

You may buy a lower from a private party. You may or may not be able to legaly build that receiver into a pistol, depending on what the previous owner did. Ask if it was first built as a pistol.
 
Got router? You could make your own receivers for about $300 worth of tooling:

 
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