handgun shooting

Question
What is the legal age to be able to shoot a handgun?

Answer
Jack,

I'm a little confused by your question, so I will answer it the best I can.  There is a difference between handgun 'shooting' and handgun 'possession' or 'ownership'.

For example, in Arizona, it is perfectly legal for a person to own a handgun at age 18.  However, Federal law prohibits a person from purchasing a handgun from a licensed dealer until they are 21 years old.  The result is that anyone aged 18-21 that wishes to purchase a handgun, may only purchase from a private party.  This is perfectly legal under Arizona law.

It is also legal for a person younger than 18 to be in possession of a firearm if they have the expressed written permission from their parent or legal guardian.  This would enable a young person to go to a shooting range or class legally, as long as they had that written permission in their possession.

If the parent is physically present with the child, written permission is not necessary.  We do events and classes all the time where young people train and participate, some as young as 10 years old.

Sometimes these laws vary from state to state, so if you are not in Arizona, you need to check the laws of your state of residence.

My rule of thumb is basically this...if a child is capable of understanding the rules of firearms safety and practices safe gun handling under adult supervision, you can start them pretty early.  Possession and ownership is a different story entirely.

I hope this answers your questions...please feel free to ask again in follow up if you need more info.

Best regards,

Doug Little