Why Reducing the Gun-Buying Age Is a Debate Worth Reexamining

FSU Students Advocate to Maintain Gun Buying Age Law—But Are They Ignoring Foundational Rights?

In recent weeks, a vocal group of Florida State University (FSU) students has been gathering at the capitol, holding signs and joining calls to maintain what they believe is a “reasonable” age restriction on firearm purchases. Their message? Keep the minimum gun-buying age at 21. But while these efforts may seem admirable on the surface, a deeper look reveals a trend that’s both troubling and misinformed—one that undermines the Second Amendment and the rights it protects.

At Fortress Firearms Training, we don’t just believe in the right to bear arms—we believe in responsible ownership, practical training, and defending constitutional liberties. That’s why the ongoing narrative that more gun control equals more safety deserves a closer, more critical examination.

Understanding the Context: What Are the Students Fighting For?

Students at FSU, heavily backed by anti-gun organizations, recently gathered to mark what they termed a grim milestone: surpassing 89,000 gun-related deaths in the U.S. since the 2022 midterm elections. They used this figure as part of their campaign to push for sustained or even increased restrictions on firearm access—particularly focusing on maintaining the legal gun-buying age at 21 years old.

Their logic? Preventing 18 to 20-year-olds from purchasing firearms will reduce gun violence, especially in schools.

But here’s the issue—this argument completely sidesteps the rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. It also ignores the fact that rights shouldn’t be age-dependent when those very individuals are legally treated as adults in every other regard.

The Flawed Logic Behind Gun Age Restrictions

Let’s take a moment to consider what 18-year-olds are already allowed to do in this country:

• Register for military service—and potentially die for our nation
• Vote in federal and state elections
• Get married, own property, and be tried as adults in court

Yet somehow, at 18, these Americans aren’t “mature” enough—according to FSU students and their allied organizations—to own a firearm for self-defense or sport? That’s not just inconsistent; it’s insulting to the core values of liberty and personal responsibility.

At Fortress Firearms Training, we teach responsible gun ownership, not reckless fearmongering. It’s our belief that maturity and responsibility don’t begin at 21. They begin with training, education, and respect for the law—things that are entirely possible for 18-year-olds to embody when given the opportunity.

Conflating Gun Rights With Gun Violence

One of the more pervasive themes in the “FSU Students Advocate to Maintain Gun Buying Age Law” movement is a reliance on raw statistics—such as the “89,000 deaths” figure—without differentiating between illegal gun use, suicides, and lawful defensive firearm use.

Every time tragedies occur, knee-jerk legislative responses follow. But emotion should never be the foundation for policy that infringes on constitutional rights. Here’s where the students’ framing fails:

• The vast majority of crimes involving firearms are committed with weapons obtained illegally
• Gun-free zones, including many college campuses, are frequently targeted precisely because law-abiding individuals are disarmed
• Lawful gun owners are statistically less likely to commit crimes than almost any other demographic

Rather than clamping down on legal access to firearms, the real solution should be a focus on criminal accountability and robust firearms education—exactly what we provide at Fortress Firearms Training in Fountain Inn, SC.

The Second Amendment Is Not Age-Restricted

The founding fathers didn’t pen the Bill of Rights with an asterisk stating “only for those 21 and up.” The Second Amendment is crystal clear. “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.” But what we’re seeing—especially from movements like the one where FSU Students Advocate to Maintain Gun Buying Age Law—are subtle forms of infringement wrapped in the cloak of public safety.

Let’s be clear: Incremental restrictions chip away at our rights over time. Today it’s age limits. Tomorrow it could be mandatory waiting periods for all firearms or limitations on magazine capacities. The principle is always the same—erode liberty under the justification of “safety.”

The Role of Firearms Training in Promoting Responsible Use

Here at Fortress Firearms Training, we don’t just put firearms in people’s hands—we equip them with the knowledge, discipline, and ethical framework needed to be responsible gun owners. That includes:

• Comprehensive safety training for all ages 18 and up
• Situational awareness and conflict de-escalation strategies
• Legal education on South Carolina’s concealed carry laws
• Live-fire proficiency and defensive tactics

We believe education is the key to reducing accidents and irresponsible ownership—not blanket restrictions.

What the Mainstream Media Won’t Tell You

Media outlets tend to present these student-led initiatives as grassroots movements powered by concerned young people. But they frequently gloss over critical facts:

• The significant financial backing of national anti-gun lobbies
• The lack of factual distinctions in many of their campaigns between defensive gun use and criminal acts
• The potential for such campaigns to set dangerous legal precedents that spill over into other constitutionally-protected rights

Reasonable adults should challenge this one-sided narrative. We should question laws that treat legal adults as second-class citizens simply because of how they might use their freedoms.

A Call to Action for All Advocates of the Second Amendment

If 18-year-olds are trusted with our nation’s most sensitive responsibilities—including military service and jury duty—they absolutely deserve the right to own a firearm for lawful use. Rather than moving the age line arbitrarily, we need to move the conversation toward training, responsibility, and constitutional fidelity.

And this is exactly what we do at Fortress Firearms Training. We train law-abiding citizens to be capable defenders of their families, their homes, and their communities. Efforts like the movement where FSU Students Advocate to Maintain Gun Buying Age Law may be well-intentioned, but they risk trampling on the hard-won freedoms that define us as Americans.

Let’s not let fear guide legislation. Let’s let reason, responsibility, and the Constitution take the lead.