DOJ seeks to end challenge to under-21 handgun sales ban as moot, outlets report

Reported by Page 3 – News2A and Page 5 – The Reload. Daily Gun News has not independently confirmed this.

The Department of Justice is trying to end a court challenge to the federal restriction on licensed dealers selling handguns to adults aged 18 to 20, according to reports from two firearms news outlets in October.

The Reload reported on October 8 that the department wants to wrap up the legal fight over dealer handgun sales to 18-to-20-year-olds. The outlet reports that DOJ moved to have the challenge treated as moot after coming to agree with the gun-rights plaintiffs.

News2A reported on October 13 that DOJ now takes the position that the under-21 handgun restriction is unconstitutional and argues the challenge against it is moot. According to News2A, the gun-rights groups behind the case still did not get the result they were seeking.

A mootness argument generally asks a court to dismiss a case because there is no longer a live dispute between the parties. In this case, the reports describe the government as agreeing with the plaintiffs on the constitutional question while still asking that the litigation end.

What is not yet known

The available reports do not identify the court or case name, the date of the filing, or whether the plaintiffs have formally responded. They also do not say whether a judge has ruled on the mootness request, or whether the federal restriction on dealer handgun sales to buyers under 21 has changed in practice. Daily Gun News has not reviewed the court filing itself.