NRA Files Amicus Brief Urging the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to Strike Down Carry Restrictions for Adults Under 21

March 17, 2026
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The NRA, alongside the Second Amendment Foundation and Firearms Owners Against Crime, just dropped a powerhouse amicus brief in *Commonwealth v. [redacted defendant]* before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, laser-focused on dismantling the state's archaic ban on concealed carry permits for law-abiding adults under 21. This isn't some fringe filing—it's a direct assault on age-based restrictions that treat 18-20-year-olds as second-class citizens when it comes to their Second Amendment rights, despite them being old enough to vote, sign contracts, and yes, even serve in the military with a rifle in hand. The brief argues that Pennsylvania's law flunks strict scrutiny under *Bruen*, Pennsylvania's own *Butler* precedent, and the plain text of the Constitution, which doesn't carve out arbitrary age carve-outs for the right to bear arms. Digging deeper, this case exposes the hypocrisy baked into common-sense gun control: these young adults can legally purchase long guns, hunt, and train at the range, but they're mysteriously deemed too immature for a holstered sidearm in public. The brief cleverly highlights post-*Heller* and *Bruen* data showing no spike in crime from shall-issue permitting to 18-20-year-olds in states like Texas or Florida—proving these restrictions aren't historical traditions but modern inventions rooted in fear-mongering. It's a masterstroke of legal strategy, threading *MacDonald*'s incorporation of the Second Amendment against state overreach and *Rahimi*'s nod to disarming only the truly dangerous, not blanket age discrimination. For the 2A community, the stakes couldn't be higher: a win here could ripple nationwide, pressuring blue states like New York and California to rethink their own under-21 carry bans, while bolstering challenges in red states dragging their feet. Imagine millions of young patriots finally able to defend themselves without begging Big Brother's permission— that's the freedom *Bruen* promised. Keep an eye on Harrisburg; this could be the tipping point that cements adult rights start at 18, not 21. Stay vigilant, stay armed, and support the fight at NRA.org.

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Digging deeper, this case exposes the hypocrisy baked into common-sense gun control: these young adults can legally purchase long guns, hunt, and train at the range, but they’re mysteriously deemed too immature for a holstered sidearm in public. The brief cleverly highlights post-*Heller* and *Bruen* data showing no spike in crime from shall-issue permitting to 18-20-year-olds in states like Texas or Florida—proving these restrictions aren’t historical traditions but modern inventions rooted in fear-mongering. It’s a masterstroke of legal strategy, threading *MacDonald*’s incorporation of the Second Amendment against state overreach and *Rahimi*’s nod to disarming only the truly dangerous, not blanket age discrimination.

For the 2A community, the stakes couldn’t be higher: a win here could ripple nationwide, pressuring blue states like New York and California to rethink their own under-21 carry bans, while bolstering challenges in red states dragging their feet. Imagine millions of young patriots finally able to defend themselves without begging Big Brother’s permission— that’s the freedom *Bruen* promised. Keep an eye on Harrisburg; this could be the tipping point that cements adult rights start at 18, not 21. Stay vigilant, stay armed, and support the fight at NRA.org.

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