2A Newsletter: July 16th

Federal Appeals Court Rules: 18 Year Olds Should Be Able To Buy Handguns

We’re starting off the newsletter this week with a bang. There’s been a huge win for gun rights advocacy groups this past week — a federal appeals court has ruled that prohibitions on selling handguns to Americans under the age of 21 is unconstitutional and violates the 2nd Amendment. Finally, a federal judge has publicly noted what we’ve all been thinking and saying for years: “Why shouldn’t the same 18-20 year old men and women we depend on to protect us in the armed forces who are trusted with the most sophisticated weaponry but be prevented purchasing a handgun from a federally licensed dealer for their own protection at home?”

We have states that allow teenagers as young as 14 or 16 years old to buy and own long guns without their parents’ consent and several states - typically in states that are more rooted in hunting traditions and culture. It’s pretty divided in the country as to which states already allow 18 year olds to buy handguns on their own and which states limit them from doing so. But states like Hawaii and Illinois have taken it even further which requires citizens to be at least 21 years of age before even being able to purchase a long gun.

The Giffords group loves to tout how our brains are still developing past the age of 21 years which is why they prefer there to be  minimum age restrictions in purchasing and owning firearms. The problem isn’t an age requirement or a lack of one; it’s the culture and stigma surrounding guns. If you tell people, especially teenagers they can’t have or do something, that just means they’ll want it even more. Instead of fueling rebellious behavior we need to have a course correction with gun culture and normalize it by teaching the masses that guns are for everyone, they are tools that can be dangerous and to constantly practice the 4 essential rules of firearm safety.

LEGO Sends Cease and Desist Order For “Block 19” Mod

You’ve probably seen some funny photos of Glock handguns with custom paint jobs or modified parts to make them look like power tools from Dewalt, Milwaukee or even classic video game systems like the Super Nintendo. This week, an aftermarket service company based in Utah (Culper Precision) has been under the national media’s spotlight for their “Block 19” modification. It’s a service package that makes gun owners' Glock 19s look like a toy made out of lego blocks.

Whether you find this new modification style funny or not, you can’t deny that it’s probably not the best idea. There’s a good argument for firearms being able to be made in colors like hot pink or Tiffany blue to normalize guns for people, children or women — the anti gunners will always say that it’s unsafe in some way, shape or form but one commenter on  The Firearm Blog’s article said it best, “This, if real, is the most irresponsible gun modification I have ever seen in a long time. Perfect fodder for the ‘Everytown for Gun Safety’ people. Not a help.”

It’s one thing if you do this on your own and just keep it in the safe and to show it off whenever your buddies come over for a laugh… but to sell this on a national level? You can’t guarantee every buyer is going to have the best gun safety practices and we are already having plenty of anti-gunner politicians at our throats for gun control regulations such as mandatory safe storage requirements. With all this already going on, Culper Precision maybe should have thought about this idea a couple more times. The LEGO Group has sent a cease and desist order and since then, the service package is no longer available on the aftermarket service’s website.

Gun Owners Getting Cuffed For Having Guns Found In Their Hotel Rooms

*Update - Federal authorities have released information that the three men arrested at the Denver hotel have been charged in Federal court for illegal firearms possession and one man is facing a drug charge as well. The men were apparently buying and selling drugs to each other. 

It’s been a tough week in the news for those who travel regularly with their guns. First, a hotel maid found several guns in a hotel room near the  MLB All-Star Game in Denver. Then, a man was discovered having a .308 rifle in his hotel room in downtown Chicago. Media sources say that this is concerning as the popular music festival Lollapalooza is coming up at the end of the month.

It’s understandable because no one wants another mass shooting at a music festival like the one in Las Vegas. However, for both of these stories the reason for these gun owners having their firearms and gear in their hotels has not been released. All that’s been said is that “their intentions have not been determined but it doesn’t take a vivid imagination to wonder what the damage a person can do from their hotel room.”

Were these men in those cities for a local competition? Were they selling any of their firearms or there for a class? We’ll never know. Whether two catastrophes were stopped or these men have just been treated as scapegoats for more gun control, it’s hard to say. But what’s important is securing your weapons and gear, even more so when traveling to avoid a similar circumstance or misunderstanding. Be discreet, be courteous and don’t draw attention to yourselves. Stay safe out there, until next week.

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