Rep. Tyler Sirois (R-Merritt Island), the bill's sponsor, framed it differently: the 2018 age restriction was a reaction to a tragedy, not a constitutional policy, and 18-year-olds who are legally adults shouldn't be denied a right the Constitution protects.

Hard to argue with the logic. You can sign a contract, vote, join the infantry, and get handed an M4 at 18 — but buying a rifle at a Florida gun store requires waiting three more years. The inconsistency has always been the weakest part of the 2018 law.

The pattern is consistent: House passes it, Senate ignores it. That's been the outcome since 2023.

Four sessions in a row now. At some point the House vote stops being a push for change and starts being a campaign document. The more interesting development is the AG saying he won't defend the age floor if the NRA takes it to SCOTUS — that's the thread worth pulling.

For guys who frequent Idaho ranges, this might feel like background noise from another state — but federal case law on purchase age cuts both directions and lands everywhere.

Discussion question: Anyone here remember buying their first long gun at 18, or did you run into age restrictions at your local shop — and did it actually change anything about how you started shooting?

Read the full article in The Handbook → | By Steve Duskett