Buying a handgun
While the process for purchasing a handgun is not as simple as walking in to your local gun store and picking one off the shelves, no permit is required to buy one, and there are only a few steps to follow in order to take a shiny new pistol home with you. In order to buy a handgun, you must:- Be 21 or older;
- Provide state ID; and
- Have a background check performed by a licensed firearms dealer.
- Have been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for over a year;
- Are a fugitive from justice;
- Illegally abuse controlled substances;
- Have been adjudicated as mentally defective or incompetent, or have been committed to a mental institution;
- Are an illegal alien;
- Are a former US citizen who has renounced his citizenship;
- Were dishonorably discharged from the US Armed Forces;
- Are subject to a restraining order; or
- Were convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Go big or go home
When you’re deciding to buy a gun, don’t chicken out and get a replica. Not only is it pretty lame, but you might be taking part in a crime! It’s actually illegal to sell or distribute “look-alike” firearms, which means any imitation of a firearm manufactured and produced after 1897, and includes toy guns, water guns, non-functioning replicas, or air-soft guns firing non-metallic projectiles. Like any law, there are exceptions, of course. Traditional bb, paintball, or pellet-firing air guns expelling projectiles through air pressure do not fall under this law. For those of you into antique firearms, not to worry! Non-firing imitation replicas of antique firearms developed before 1898 do not fall under this law, and restoration of any look-alike firearms is legal as long as you have a license to collect firearms as curios and relics.Don’t forget about long guns!
While you’re out buying a handgun, you might as well pick up a rifle to go along with it! Like with handguns, no purchase permit is required. The process for buying a long gun is almost identical to the steps for a handgun. In fact, the requirements are even less restrictive. To buy a long gun, you must:- Be 18 or older;
- Provide ID; and
- Have a background check performed by a licensed firearms dealer.
What about the children??
While you can’t legally purchase firearms if you are under 18, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the fun. Just make sure you follow the rules, and you can pew pew just like everyone else! A person under 18 can possess a firearm if he is:- Accompanied by a parent or guardian; and
- Target shooting or taking a firearms training course.
- They are under the supervision of a parent or guardian; and
- Are out hunting, or taking a hunter safety course.