Here's some great news for anyone who cares about their Second Amendment rights: a federal judge just struck down Jackson County, Missouri's attempt to ban people under 21 from buying handguns and ammunition. And the best part? The court made it clear that you can't just repeal an unconstitutional ordinance after getting sued and expect to dodge accountability.
In November 2024, Jackson County pushed through Ordinance No. 5865, which barred anyone under 21 from purchasing handguns or handgun ammo, and also prevented 18-20-year-olds from possessing semiautomatic rifles. When an 18-year-old named Leonard Wilson Jr. wanted to buy a handgun from his uncle, the county told him no way.
But Wilson, backed by Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, and the State of Missouri, sued the county. Once the lawsuit hit, the county scrambled to repeal the ordinance and replace it with a weaker version that only applies to minors under 18 — classic move to make the case seem "moot."
U.S. District Court didn't buy it. In a ruling from June 2026, the judge found that Section 1 of the original ordinance violated the Second Amendment. The court leaned heavily on the Eighth Circuit's earlier decision in Worth v. Jacobson, which struck down a similar Minnesota law restricting 18-20-year-olds from carrying firearms.
The judge made an important point: the right to keep and bear arms includes the right to *acquire* firearms. A ban on purchase is basically a ban on possession. The county tried to argue that the Second Amendment only protects self-defense, not range shooting — but the court shut that down fast, noting that Bruen explicitly covers "lawful purposes," not just self-defense.
This case is now limited to nominal damages (symbolic compensation), but the precedent matters. Local governments across the country need to understand: unconstitutional gun laws won't stand, and repealing them after getting sued doesn't make the problem go away.
As a gun shop owner, I've seen these age-based restrictions hurt young adults who are perfectly legal to own firearms. This ruling confirms what we've always known — the Second Amendment doesn't have an age limit, and neither should your rights.