OK, I know the legal age to purchase a handgun is 21, and the legal age to purchase a long gun is 18, but is the legal age to *own* a handgun the same?  I've heard tell that if a parent or grandparent (something like that) gives their child/grandchild a handgun that it is legal.  Is there any truth to this?  Does it vary from state-to-state? (specifically Oregon, if anyone knows).  Are there any web sites out there that clearly explain this?  

Thanks for any help! :)

David

I think it is a federal requirement that you be 21 to purchase a handgun or handgun ammunition.  And if I'm not mistaken you must be 21 to own one also.  Gotta be 21 to buy alcohol, if you get caught with some and your 18, I believe you get charged with minor possession.  So it's logical to think that same case would apply to a handgun.

I thought it was 18 to posess a handgun, 21 to buy.

I would suggest looking around on the NRA website under the legal section . I belive that the ownership laws are usualy state based , it is the purchaseing that is federal laws , which as you mentioned is 21. I have been wondering  about this too , having been collecting since I was 14 . Some people will tell you one thing and another something else. It is amazing how many laws there are and how many people know so little. Last week I went to get some 308 ammo because I am waitng for my reloading dies to arrive. I asked the store clerk if they had any inexpensive FMJ rounds and some other guy that was there freaked out and tried to tell me that FMJ rifle rounds were illegal. When I corrected him he said"I hope that you are ready for a stay in jail." Moron. Suffice to say , find out for your self and take advice cautiously and with a grain of salt.

This is the law for Oregon from the NRA webpage

It is unlawful to sell, deliver, or transfer any firearm to:

1. A minor under the age of 18.

I guess that means that an 18 year old can own or posess a handgun.

Federal law sets age to purchase at 18 for long guns, 21 for handguns.  Federal law also prohibits possession based on criminal record, mental defect or domestic violence restraining order.

Ages for the possession of handguns and long guns are set by the states, and vary.  There are still places where it's legal for a minor to own and possess a handgun, as long as it was given them legally by a parent or guardian.  Don't worry, though - the federal government is trying hard to make it illegal to possess a handgun if you're under 21, and soon they'll take them all away, for our own good.

I am 19 and live in Oregon. It is legal to own a handgun if you are over 18, you just can't buy it yourself. Too bad we can't get a concealed carry permit untill 21.

Blaster,
  At least you have the chance to get it when your 21. Here is Wisconsin, there is no shall issue.

-Jared

Paul:  That restriction affects only licensees... not private sales or gifts.

I know in some states you can be in possesion of a handgun at 18. Does anyone know what the law in Washington State is?

Kyle

Had my pistol permit in Massachusetts at the age of 18 in 1989.

Sherm

from the ATF itself:

You can buy a handgun from a private party at 18, but have to be 21 to buy from a dealer (didn't make sense to me either)

Just type up a bill of sale, with names, date, gun make, model and serial# and sign away.

I have bought a Colt Gold cup and Glock 30 this way.

Hi Sherm8404! The Massachusetts minimum age for a License to Carry Firearms (pistol permit) was 18 until Cheryl Jacques rammed through the Civil Rights Reduction Act of 1998, aka Chapter 180. It is now 21, and police chiefs have unlimited power, with no appeal, to restrict the issueance of LTCs.

In NM you can legally posess a handgun at the age of 19. Gun can be conceled in vehicle, but not on persons outside vehicle or home. You can legally carry the gun "in plain view" as long as you are not in a gov. building, church, school, liquor store, etc.

Federal law says 21 to PURCHASE, not to own a handgun.  You can have your folks buy it for you and you will own it.  Please check the law before giving someone an answer you don't really know.

Around here requirements to be a cop are 21. I believe most security jobs too either want you to be 21 or they just give you a night stick.

I know when I was 17 the Army let me play with machine guns and hand grenades. At 18 they gave me a loaded pistol and we drove around for about 6 months with the state police doing counter-drug ops. That same government had also let me fire live M203 grenades and given me authorization to kill American civilians should they pose a threat to myself or others.

And yet I was not resposible enough because of my age to drink a little alcohol or own a pistol. Stupid laws is all I can say.

  Anyway back on topic I believe you can posess but not buy and maybe not even own. I.E. if you borrow it from a friend to go shoot it is fine, or if it is "yours" but legally is still the property of someone over 21 like a parent.
  #1 rule is to find out for yourself. Don't believe anything you see on the net unless it is official, and for your state. It will vary from state to state, and what I believe is true for Arkansas might not be for Oregon.

Does anyone know where I can find this information for Washington State?

Kyle

Police departments in Florida will issue a 19-year-old a handgun.  If it were illegal to possess under the age of 21, the dept. would not be permitted to issue them to those under 21.  

In contacting my state, county, and local police departments, I received this info: any person over [b]18[/b] not convicted of a felony is allowed to possess a handgun, rifle, or shotgun, but not NFA weapons.

I read the federal laws posted on the ATF's website and they say an 18-year-old may possess a handgun if it is given as a "gift" by their parents.  21 is just the purchasing age.