DOJ: Federal handgun ban on 18–20-year-olds unconstitutional

The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the federal prohibition on selling handguns and handgun ammunition to individuals aged 18–20 violates the Second Amendment, a non-binding opinion that prosecutors are unlikely to pursue felony charges against dealers; the ruling follows mixed circuit court outcomes on age-based gun restrictions and notes the law’s non-precedential status while highlighting the broader political and legal debate over age limits for gun purchases.