# Gun law question



## utbowhntr (Sep 11, 2007)

I have a question about a person under 18 using a firearm. My son is 17 and likes to go with his friends to shoot clay pigeons. He has his own shotgun that I bought him. My question is this. Does a person or persons have to have a person 21 or older be with them to be using a firearm if those persons are under 18? Thanks.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

I'm checking on an answer for you. Waiting to hear back from the Weber County Sheriffs Dept.

OK, I did a search on the www.utcourts.gov website and found a couple of codes that may apply. Utah Code 53-5A-102 and 76-10-500 , funny thing is they don't mention age. Also , you may want to call the DWR at 801-476-2740. The Sheriffs Dept. referred me to them. Good luck.


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## apollosmith (Jun 29, 2008)

http://www.le.utah.gov/UtahCode/getCode ... =76-10-509

76-10-509. Possession of dangerous weapon by minor.
(1)A minor under 18 years of age may not possess a dangerous weapon unless he:
(a) *has the permission of his parent or guardian to have the weapon*; or
(b) is accompanied by a parent or guardian while he has the weapon in his possession.
(2) Any minor under 14 years of age in possession of a dangerous weapon shall be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Now keep in mind that there might be other DWR *RULES* (wouldn't apply to hunting to pigeons of the clay type) in regard to hunting, but this is all that the *law* says regarding possession.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

If I'm not mistaken, the DWR rules require a person to be at least 16 to hunt with a firearm, without a parent or guardian accompanying the hunter. Think about it logically- we allow kids to start driving at 16 unaccompanied by an adult, why wouldn't they let a 16 year old kid hunt without one? Cars are just as dangerous as guns. Some might argue they are MORE dangerous. I think parents need to make good decisions in this regard. If you don't think your kid is safe enough to go hunting alone until he/she is 16, then don't. A lot of decisions need to be made on a case-by-case basis. As far as the DWR is concerned, if they can drive, they can hunt.


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## lehi (Sep 13, 2007)

As long as he has permission its all good.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

I remember riding my bicycle out of town with a 22 across the handle bars to go "plinking" and when at least 30% of the vehicles in the high school parking lot had rifles in them durring deer season. I even remember taking a 22 to english class to "teach" the class how to clean it IN JUNIIOR HIGH..............I suddenly feel REALLY OLD!


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## Packbasket (Oct 29, 2009)

we used to have a cloak room set aside for all of us to stack our rifles in when class started, everyone ran a trapline before and after school , course we all walked or rode a bike, took a sled, etc.

shame we rely now on rules and regs to replace morals and common sense, soon only the law books will let people know what is right and wrong to do.

I'm very happy to read your son is out shooting with his friends, nothing builds a boy into a proper man faster than responsibility for himself and others.


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

Ah, the good old days.
I can remember being 10 years old, and carrying MY .22 down the main street of Preston, Idaho and walking into the local hardware store, with the gun, and buying bullets for it WITH MY OWN MONEY.
I can even remember the clerk asking us if we wanted shorts, longs, or long rifles, and then letting us put the long rifles INTO THE GUNS, to make sure they fit properly before we left.
Bullets which I put in my pocket and used during the walk home, as well as the hike around the farms of my grandfather and his neighbors.
Having the local cop wave at us as we walked along and occasionally even offer us a ride was nothing unusual and he thought nothing of having 1-3 kids WITH GUNS in his car. AND we thought nothing about climbing into his car or any other adults from the area. Guns or not.

I really hate the modern world. It is so **** depressing when compared to how it was when I was growing up, even with all the _*JOYFUL*_ problems that WERE part of my life back then. :roll:


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## James (Oct 7, 2007)

When I was a kid, it seemed like every boy got a BB gun at age 6 and a 22 at age 12. 
I don't think it had anything to do with any laws, just the concensus of the community that at those ages the child could be deemed responsible to have those tools. It also seems that this concensus was proven wrong at times. Many parents just gave the kid a gun and no instruction. Maybe a simple, "Watch where you point it."

I knew one fellow who died because of a gunshot wound. Four who got shot in the foot or leg. One with a bullet in his skull still. They couldn't take it out for fear of doing serious damage to the brain. I also was at the hospital one time with a son who needed a suture, when a guy was brought in who had shot himself in the foot with his deer rifle. (loaded gun in a vehicle) Needlees to say, the suture was put on hold for a while. Now that was messy.

I think the best thing that ever happened for the sake of gun safety, is the Hunter's Safety Program. 

Parents, please get your children to a hunter's safety class. Please also talk to them about gun safety and practice it.

Those were in fact "good old days" in many ways. We could have guns. There were no NO TRESSPASSING signs. We could hunt and fish anywhere we could get our bodies. We just needed education.


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## Packbasket (Oct 29, 2009)

who remembers the chicelette packs of bullets in the wooden self serve cases?

i still have some, cant open them, would ruin the memory!


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Like some of you guys, I too remember the old days. When I was in high school back in the mid 70's we had a gun club where we held skeet shoots after school a couple times a year. On those days it was common to see students packing their shotguns through the halls to store them in their lockers.

How times have changed, just try to do that now. :shock:


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## redleg (Dec 5, 2007)

One day the U.S. will be a free country again. It may not have as many states, but freedom loving American will not let this go on for ever.


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