California Under 21 Rifle Ban Struck Down

Written By

Michael Crites

Licensed Concealed Carry Holder

Reviewed by

Editorial Team

Learn About The Editorial Team

Products are selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases from a link. How we select gear.

Updated

Jan 2023

A 2-1 panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said California’s ban on most adults aged 18-to-20 being able to buy semi-auto rifles didn’t jive with the Second Amendment.

Adopted in 2018 but only put into limited effect last year, the ban has been in court ever since, and the pro-gun crowd won this round. Of course, every gun case that has ever been won by the 2A bunch in the notoriously liberal “Nutty Ninth” has been overturned by a larger En Banc panel and never taken up by the Supremes, but that could change due to the new SCOTUS calculus.

Also, the fact that a mass shooting happened in New York involving a deranged 18-year-old and a semi-auto rifle just a few days after the California decision isn’t going to help.

Meet the Experts

Written By

Michael Crites

Licensed Concealed Carry Holder

Michael Crites has served as executive editor of AmericanFirearms.org since 2016 and previously held positions as associate editor and range correspondent dating back to 2000. He discovered his passion for precision shooting at age 12 during his first visit to his grandfather's shooting range, eventually earning an Expert classification in three different shooting disciplines before age 18. During his studies at University of Wyoming, he earned four varsity letters on the collegiate rifle and pistol teams, serving as team captain for three consecutive years. He became the first UW student to complete the NRA Range Safety Officer certification while maintaining full-time student status. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Communications. His diverse career has included roles as Range Safety Coordinator for the National Rifle Championships in Camp Perry 2001; editor-in-chief, Precision Shooter Quarterly; series editor, Modern Firearms Handbook collection; managing editor, National Shooting Sports Foundation Newsletter; editor, Competitive Shooter Magazine; operations director for Western Arms & Ammunition Co.; senior editor for the Shooter's Reference Annual (Cheyenne); content director for The Firearms Report, published by the American Shooting Coalition in Billings, MT; firearms correspondent for Hunting & Shooting, produced by Outdoor Sports Media Group in Jackson, WY; and publisher for Wyoming Shooting Sports Journal in Casper. He has contributed as a regular columnist for American Rifleman (NRA Publications), technical editor for Precision, a publication of the National Bench Rest Shooters Association (Phoenix, AZ); and as firearms specialist for the Gun Owner's Annual. As a digital content creator, he has written more than 400 articles on AmericanFirearms.org, developed shooting technique coverage for the Brownells Shooting Blog (Montezuma, IA) and Federal Premium "Range Notes" platform (Anoka, MN), and served as lead content strategist for International Defensive Pistol Association (Berryville, AR). Beyond Tactical Firearms, his current endeavors include content development for the Wyoming State Rifle Association (Cheyenne, WY) and technical manual production for High Plains Publishing of Laramie, WY. He has contributed to the 12th, 13th, and 14th editions of Modern Sporting Rifles Guide and edited The Complete Guide to Tactical Shooting and Competitive Shooter's Reference Manual (Gun Digest Books).