A federal judge in Colorado has dealt a blow to gun rights this week by upholding a law that blocks Americans under 21 from buying firearms—igniting fresh outrage from Second Amendment defenders nationwide.
Chief U.S. District Judge Philip A. Brimmer sided with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, ruling that the state’s age-based gun ban does not fall under Second Amendment protections. His decision comes despite growing momentum in courts across the country recognizing the rights of law-abiding 18- to 20-year-olds to keep and bear arms.
The law—pushed through by Democrat Governor Jared Polis—bars anyone under 21 from purchasing any firearm, whether a rifle, shotgun, or handgun. The only exceptions are for military service members and law enforcement officers, and even then, only when buying for official duty.
Gun Rights Advocates Call It a “Constitutional Betrayal”
“This decision is not just wrong—it’s dangerous,” said Taylor Rhodes, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (RMGO), who brought the lawsuit alongside two under-21 Colorado residents, Adrian Pineda and Matthew Newkirk. “The Second Amendment says the people have the right to bear arms, not just those who meet arbitrary age requirements set by anti-gun politicians.”
While Judge Brimmer acknowledged that Pineda and Newkirk qualify as “the people” under the Constitution, he deferred to a previous 10th Circuit ruling that classified the restriction as outside the Second Amendment’s scope.
That move puts Colorado directly at odds with recent pro-Second Amendment rulings in other jurisdictions—most notably from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which struck down a federal law banning handgun sales to those under 21. In that ruling, Judge Edith H. Jones wrote that the government had failed to show any founding-era precedent for such an age-based restriction.
Two Americas: Constitutional Confusion in the Courts
Legal experts say the Colorado ruling highlights the growing judicial divide in the U.S. over how the Second Amendment applies to young adults. While courts like the 5th Circuit are reaffirming foundational freedoms, others—like the 10th—are giving the green light to sweeping gun bans targeting lawful adults.
“This is a dangerous precedent,” said constitutional attorney John Eastman. “You’ve got 18-year-olds old enough to vote, serve on a jury, join the military—but now we’re saying they can’t exercise their basic right to self-defense?”
Polis Praises the Ruling as ‘Common Sense’—Critics Say It’s Nonsense
Governor Polis celebrated the ruling, claiming it will help make Colorado “one of the ten safest states” in the country. His office praised the decision as a win for “responsible gun ownership”—a term many gun rights groups say is simply code for disarming the public.
Critics argue the law is yet another example of Democrats exploiting tragedy to chip away at gun rights—one age bracket at a time.
“If you’re old enough to serve in combat, you’re old enough to own a firearm,” said one Colorado gun shop owner who asked not to be named for fear of backlash. “This is about control, not safety.”
SCOTUS Could Step In
With conflicting rulings emerging across federal courts, the issue may soon land at the Supreme Court. Justices already ruled in 2022 in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen that the government cannot restrict gun rights without strong historical justification—a precedent that gun advocates believe should nullify Colorado’s new law.
Until then, however, young Coloradans will remain stripped of their rights—and gun rights groups say they’re just getting started in their fight to reverse the decision.
“We’re not backing down,” said RMGO’s Rhodes. “This case isn’t over. The Second Amendment doesn’t have an age limit.”
