under 21 shooting a handgun at a range

MrSquinty · Jul 5, 2013

hi guys
long time lurker, first time poster.

i know that in ohio, in order to own a handgun you have to be 21. i know that there are a whole bunch of wacky laws alongside that regarding the federal law vs. ohio law.

however, since per ohio law, it is illegal to "furnish" a handgun to anyone under 21 - does that include taking someone to the range?

i know that someone under 21 can have a handgun for training or education....by a parent or guardian..but what about a non-parent taking a 20 year old to the range?

to me its a grey area

id appreciate the help and i thank you!

eye95 · Jul 5, 2013

There is an exception in the law for adults to train folks under 21. I will look that wording up and post it here.

eye95 · Jul 5, 2013

Here ya go:

2923.21 Improperly furnishing firearms to minor.
(A) No person shall do any of the following:

(1) Sell any firearm to a person who is under eighteen years of age;

(2) Subject to division (B) of this section, sell any handgun to a person who is under twenty-one years of age;

(3) Furnish any firearm to a person who is under eighteen years of age or, subject to division (B) of this section, furnish any handgun to a person who is under twenty-one years of age, except for lawful hunting, sporting, or educational purposes, including, but not limited to, instruction in firearms or handgun safety, care, handling, or marksmanship under the supervision or control of a responsible adult;

MrSquinty · Jul 5, 2013

eye95 said:
Here ya go:

thank you, eye, i could have sworn there was a clause in there about them being a parent or guardian...maybe i was combining some range rules with orc...

thanks again!

eye95 · Jul 5, 2013

Well, I have to wonder what they mean by a "responsible adult." Do they mean an adult who is responsible for the minor, such as a parent or guardian? Or do they mean an adult who acts responsibly?

I suspect that they meant the former, but phrased it so badly as to render the word "responsible" irrelevant to the law. How would they go about proving that an adult who provided the firearm was not "responsible"?

JediSkipdogg · Jul 6, 2013

Keep in mind what eye posted is says sell or furnish. It says nothing about own, take, possess.

There are some states in the USA that you can still do private party sales to residents under 21. If you happen to reside in those states you can own one and then bring it back to Ohio. You can then take it to the range all you want.

Will cops give you a hard time? Sure, but how much are you willing to talk?

MyWifeSaidYes · Jul 14, 2013

If the person you take to the range is under 18, make sure they have WRITTEN permission from their parents and that the permission slip is in their possession whenever a firearm is in their possession. [18 USC 922(x)]

RT48 · Jul 15, 2013

JediSkipdogg said:
Keep in mind what eye posted is says sell or furnish. It says nothing about own, take, possess.

There are some states in the USA that you can still do private party sales to residents under 21. If you happen to reside in those states you can own one and then bring it back to Ohio. You can then take it to the range all you want.

I tried to convince Gary Slider of handgunlaws.us of this but I failed, hence his web site still says it is illegal for an 18-20 year old to possess in Ohio. I also tried to convince him that there is no law that says the following (which is also on his web site):

Note:
When carrying a firearm with a CHL in a vehicle the firearm must not be accessible to children or persons under firearm disability. You must carry the handgun in a manner so they do not have access to it. That means you can’t keep it in the Glove Box or on the seat if unauthorized person by law can access it. Keeping it on your person would keep you within the law.

JustaShooter · Jul 26, 2013

MyWifeSaidYes said:
If the person you take to the range is under 18, make sure they have WRITTEN permission from their parents and that the permission slip is in their possession whenever a firearm is in their possession. [18 USC 922(x)]

In this, you say "firearm", do you mean "handgun" or does this also apply to rifles and shotguns?

I ask because I volunteer as a range safety officer and run the rifle range for some church youth and family camps here in Ohio. As you might imagine, the youths are under 21 and most are under 18, and are unaccompanied by a parent at youth camp. I do have an adult camp counselor supervising each shooting position but I do not know if the camp has obtained written permission from parents or guardians to allow them to participate in the range time I oversee. My reading of 18 USC 922(x) indicates that it only applies to handguns, but then, I am Just a Shooter, I Am Not A Lawyer, and I do not know if I'm misreading it or if there are other provisions in Ohio or US law that apply...

color of law · Jul 26, 2013

18 USC 922(x)
(1) It shall be unlawful for a person to sell, deliver, or otherwise transfer to a person who the transferor knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a juvenile—
(A) a handgun; or
(B) ammunition that is suitable for use only in a handgun.
(2) It shall be unlawful for any person who is a juvenile to knowingly possess—
(A) a handgun; or
(B) ammunition that is suitable for use only in a handgun.

Also,

(5) For purposes of this subsection, the term “juvenile” means a person who is less than 18 years of age.

JustaShooter · Jul 26, 2013

Thank you for posting that, but I had alread read it (as I indicated in my reply) as well as the section that provides for written parental permission. I was hoping for clarification from MyWifeSaidYes or others who might be able to confirm that I wasn't misreading it or failing to realize there were other sections of US or Ohio law I should be aware of.

MyWifeSaidYes · Jul 27, 2013

Sorry about the confusion. I should have said 'handgun' instead of 'firearm' when referring to 922(x).

For handguns, Federal law requires written parental permission, whereas Ohio law only requires adult supervision.

Both my kids (11 and 15) have a business card size permission slip from me for when they open carry their handguns. Actually, they carry their cards more frequently than I carry my CHL.

JustaShooter · Jul 27, 2013

Thanks for the clarification.

sd790 · Oct 15, 2013

MyWifeSaidYes said:
If the person you take to the range is under 18, make sure they have WRITTEN permission from their parents and that the permission slip is in their possession whenever a firearm is in their possession. [18 USC 922(x)]

I have attached a PDF with a layout for business card sized permission slips to use as you wish. Thanks for the verbiage, MWSY!

View attachment Permission Slip.pdf

under 21 shooting a handgun at a range

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