Gun controllers and gun rights people seem close to an agreement that might raise the age limit for buying a rifle. But it's doubtful that it would do anything.
Look at Chicago for guidance, if you dare. Chicago has some of the tightest gun control laws in the nation, and that hasn't made a difference. Most of the guns used in crimes there were bought through a straw man, obtained from a friend, or stolen. The difference between the Chicago shootings and the school shootings might be that there are probably networks of people in Chicago who participate in the transfer of stolen or illegally obtained guns. Whereas the lone crazy school shooter might not be able to participate in such a network. One would hope, anyway.
In any event, there's still a lot of doubt about whether an age limit would make any difference. In a short search for stats I ran across this from Reason.com: Can Congress Save Lives by Raising the Rifle Purchase Age? Here's a short excerpt:
Of the 23 deadliest shootings in modern U.S. history, three (Parkland, Sandy Hook, and Columbine) were perpetrated by killers younger than 21 who used rifles. The Sandy Hook shooter, who was 20, used a Bushmaster XM-15 bought by his mother, so a higher purchase age clearly would not have thwarted him. The Columbine killers, who were both younger than 18 when they started collecting weapons, obtained two shotguns and a Hi-Point 995 carbine through a straw purchase by an acquaintance who was 18. If the purchase age had been 21, they might have found an older straw buyer, or they might have obtained the long guns through an illegal private sale, which is how they acquired an Intratec TEC-DC9 pistol.
It is by no means clear that a higher purchase age for long guns would have made a difference in any of these cases. But it would make it harder for adults younger than 21 to obtain firearms for legitimate purposes. "Federal law prohibits adults under the age of 21 from purchasing a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer," notes Jennifer Baker, the NRA's public affairs director. "Legislative proposals that prevent law-abiding adults aged 18-20 years old from acquiring rifles and shotguns effectively prohibits them for purchasing any firearm, thus depriving them of their constitutional right to self-protection."
Lifting the age limit might create a "feel good" moment. But it's unlikely to accomplish what proponents intend, unless the intent is to put a foot in the door for more serious gun control.
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8:53 AM 3/1/2018
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