Academy won't sell AR's or SD shotguns to anyone younger than 21!

[beemerphile]

No, but they are old enough to join the service and die for our country in a foreign hell-hole carrying a FA version of the AR that the .gov placed in their hands.

Dear Academy: Never take business advice from lawyers. The safest position is to not sell anything to anyone.

 

[Nicksterdemus]

Your goobermint doesn't care. Louisiana was the last hold-out on the "mandatory" 21 and up for alcohol sales.

Uncle Sam, pressured by all the do gooder, meddlin' MAD Moms, dried up federal highway funds until all states kowtowed to the powers that be.

 

[pred]

The owner has the right to deny service to whom he wants.
You small like Lasagna?
No Gun For You.
Could it hurt his business?
Yes it could.
Will the 19 year old today that was denied today go back to the shop when he's 21 and shop there, Most likely.
I know as I get older I draw the limit and will never go back.
When I was 19, I would have wished I was 21.
Peter

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I say to heck with all these large chain stores. I go to my local gun club for firearms purchases. Sure, I can save a few bucks at Dick's, Sportsman Warehouse and the others.... but there's benefit to keeping the small guys in business, as well as service after the sale.

Regarding this specific case at Academy... it's their product... end of story. Besides, the last thing I would want is for Government to swooosh in and dictate otherwise.

My suggestion is to exercise your 'Right' to not support these mega-corporations. Instead, support your local gun clubs and shops.

 

[mstuhr]

?

Howdy,
Well, I assume they think the younger people may be more inclined to use the gun in a crime. Here in St. Louis, when I watch the news, I see a higher ratio of black people using guns in crimes than white people.
If I had a store and choose not to sell to black people because of this, would that be discriminatory? If so, how would that be any different than what Academy is doing?
I think it is discriminating.
I never thought the responsible, law abiding should be held responsible for the acts of others.
Crooks use guns. Maybe no one should have guns? Same line of thinking.
Thanks
Mike

 

[Nicksterdemus]

Kids, being the rambunctious sort, are known to tag mail boxes w/rocks, bottles and baseball bats. There is also a new game of paintball being played out of their mobile homes w/big bass woofers that includes tagging whatever they feel like w/paintballs while rolling down the boulevard.

It's not much of a stretch to envision other possibilities.

One guy is dead, but the other claims to recall shooting at rabbits in the country while seated on the hood of a slow moving LTD at night coz it seemed like the thing to do at the time.

Beer might have been a factor although I can neither confirm nor deny its status nor any other details concerning this alleged event that may or may not have taken place decades prior due in part to the universal youthful indiscretion act that plainly states; if you didn't get caught and there were no pictures then any witnesses would be co-conspirators, collaborators and generally unworthy, unreliable representatives for decent folks to put any stock of belief in their tall tales that might suffer cause for indignation while casting dispersions on another's character.

The majority of guys need to get a quarter century under their belt before they think fairly clearly.

Then there's a few that would still jump butt first on the hood of that LTD...

 

[sigp220.45]

I would imagine Academy is tired of the endless ATF traces they have to deal with when the AR or pistol grip Mossberg they straw-sold to a baggy pants not-a-felon-yet gangbanger winds up in an evidence room somewhere.

Their store, their rules.

 

[GatorFarmer]

Any chance that the AR that had the sign on it was a collapsible stock? Some states have laws that vary from the Federal law as to what a "handgun" is in given state. It's possible for a collapsible stock AR, folding stock AK or pistol grip shotgun that the Feds would consider a longarm to be considered a handgun in certain states and fall under a state law requiring one be 21 to purchase a handgun. Just a thought.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Any chance that the AR that had the sign on it was a collapsible stock? Some states have laws that vary from the Federal law as to what a "handgun" is in given state. It's possible for a collapsible stock AR, folding stock AK or pistol grip shotgun that the Feds would consider a longarm to be considered a handgun in certain states and fall under a state law requiring one be 21 to purchase a handgun. Just a thought.

Correct.

If I remember correctly, pistol gripped shotguns (lacking a regular stock) are classified under federal law so as to be only sold to those over 21. State laws do vary and could possibly include other stipulations.

 

[SAFireman]

Texas rules

Here in Texas...

A shotgun that has a pistol grip is not considered a pistol as long as it has a barrel 18 inches or longer and is 26 inches in length overall. (pretty sure about this, but correct me if I got the overall wrong).

The AR types with a collapsible stock and barrel 16" and longer are still rifles (I don't know the rifle overall length, sorry about that).

So these shotguns and rifles that I saw were legal "long guns" in the eyes of the ATF and the State of Texas.

I wish that I had a camera and took some quick shots for you guys. I think that the only recourse would be to either boycott their store (no much ammo anyhow...) or - Call the folks that manufacture those particular rifles and shotguns and complain about the retailer's practices.

I was just miffed when I saw that and thought that I would pass it on. I will gladly share the store location to anyone local so that they may see for themselves.

 

[sigp220.45]

An FFL newsletter that went out in November of 09 discusses the pistol grip/21 year old issue:

http://www.atf.gov/publications/newsletters/ffl/ffl-newsletter-2009-11.pdf

Its on page 2 and 3. Sounds like Academy is erring on the side of caution.

 

[desi2358]

An FFL newsletter that went out in November of 09 discusses the pistol grip/21 year old issue:

http://www.atf.gov/publications/newsletters/ffl/ffl-newsletter-2009-11.pdf

Its on page 2 and 3. Sounds like Academy is erring on the side of caution.

Thanks for the link, the wording on the 4473 about this is not as clear and has led to a number of discussions about the legal status of shotguns with pistol grips. Some dealers have believed that the ATF considered ANY shotgun with a pistol grip to require the same treatment as a handgun even if it also had a buttstock. The ATF newsletter clarifies this to ONLY apply to shotguns without a buttstock. I wonder if Academy's lawyers felt they should cover their tails on this one and streched the rule to apply it to AR and AK type rifles as well.