I agree and considering that homicide rates peak at 19 the science certainly supports a higher age for the carry of handguns, concealed or otherwise is sound.
Here’s my thoughts on age,
I’m 41. I have an exemplary driving record. If you give me the keys to a 500 horsepower Corvette for a month, the stupidity is going to happen. Not a matter of if, or even when, but how often. The same goes for gun ownership. Age, is a number, a milestone if you will. Some 15 year olds could be trusted with any gun out there. Some 70 year olds couldn’t be trusted with ANY gun out there. The last group I want telling me when I can exercise my 2nd Amendment right, is the group that takes money from lobbyists, to enforce their political agendas. So, at 41, I absolutely do “immature” things. But, I know that one act of stupidity could have grave consequences. It’s up to the individual to weigh the consequences, carrying a gun especially.
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I agree - and that could happen to any one of us at any time. One lapse of judgement, one mistake…
This is a great conversation… please carry on! You are showing that we can have level-headed conversations on both sides and try to work things through in a positive, respectful manner. 
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Great analogy. I own my late dad’s '68 Firebird which I keep at mom’s place in Missouri because I don’t have a garage where I live in North Carolina. Whenever I go back home the little teenage kid comes out in me when I take the ole girl out. So much so that I know my daughter’s limit is at 110 MPH max. We all do stupid things no matter how old we are. I’m 47 and it doesn’t have to be with that car for me to do something stupid. Granted the older I get the less of that happens.
My son is 13 and I trust him with any gun. He is a good kid. My ex and I have done everything we can to raise him right. Does he do stupid stuff? All of the time. As a parent I know that there will be a time I won’t be around to say hey you shouldn’t do that. At some point we all have to let go and let them make mistakes hoping they learn from them. Just praying that it’s not one with too big of a cost. Would I be ok with my son carrying concealed at 18? Yes, but I would want him to have proper training.
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My sons are 19 (identical twins) and I would be OK with them carrying most of the time. They know when they’re most likely going to do stupid stuff (when they go hang out with a bunch of friends on a Saturday night at someone’s home and have a bonfire). I believe they would be smart enough to not carry at those times.
They have had a bunch of training (helps when their mom is an instructor 
) and I will be teaching them more now that I’ve taking additional training myself. They are smart, have been raised knowing there is a consequence to their actions and that they’re not the only ones who will suffer the consequences if they really screw up. They could hurt someone - and they do their best to ensure they don’t hurt others.
Trust me, they’re not angels, but they’re also very responsible, respectful young men and I couldn’t be prouder of them!
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Kind of odd but at that age my parents could trust us implicitly with guns but not much else.
I worked awfully hard at the time but drank and partied (never any dope) just as hard and ran with a pretty rough crowd.
We got in lots of fights had a lot of wild times in general and even though pretty much every one of us had at least two firearms in our trucks we never did anything unlawful with them.
My parents instilled in us clear lines we knew never to cross and we also understood the finality of death and dismemberment.
Unfortunately that seems to be lost on a whole lot of kids from the last generation or two and it does my heart good to see that there are still some parents out there instilling the same kind of values in their kids.
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I may need that shirt!
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I bought it at a vendor booth during DragonCon in Atlanta last year. 
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We need to figure this out in the U.S. Either someone is an adult at 18 or they’re not. If an 18-year-old isn’t old enough for the 21st Amendment or the 2nd Amendment, then we ought to reconsider the wisdom of the 26th Amendment. Conversely, if we can entrust a person with the responsibility to defend the nation and with the solemn (and dangerous) right to vote, then that person should be treated with all the same rights and responsibilities as every other adult. These 2nd-class-citizen laws erode the egalitarian nature of our society.
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My thought would to use the Israeli model, when you turn 18 you serve 3 years learning basic infantry and firearms tactics.
Maybe it would put some steel back into the American male backbone, teach patriotic and civic duty.
I think our country would be better off, just my thoughts.
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Without any doubt, age 18.
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Well said. I couldn’t agree more.
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We always had our firearms with us in Afghanistan, including the underdeveloped 18-25 year olds. Hell, I have talked to 50 year olds with underdeveloped brains.
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I understand what you’re getting at with patriotic duty, turning these pansies into men, but the Israeli model would mean more government control…the very thing we don’t want. Besides, there is something special about the volunteer…makes me warm and fuzzy.
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Yes @Patrick47 you are right, it wouldn’t work for a country our size. Sounded good in theory though. 
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In Israel it’s women too. It should be here as well.
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Yes, Israel women serve for two years.
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Well one thing we do not need is more government intrusion into our lives. People in government who ended the draft if I remember correctly around 1980?! when they wanted to completely divorce themselves from the Vietnam war era period and have a completely voluntary military. If I’m not mistaken they called it “VOLAR” or a derivative of that word.
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Recent news on this topic.
The Ninth Circuit (let me say that again… the Ninth Circuit) struck down firearm restrictions on 18-year-olds.
Ninth Circuit ‘reaffirms’ 2nd Amendment rights for young people | Courthouse News Service
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