There's something more than a little wrong about how we view adults between the ages of 18 and 21. On the one hand, they're adults. They can marry, sign contracts, enlist in the military, and do all kinds of adult things. On the other, some of their rights don't kick in until they hit that magic age.
That includes a lot of things involving gun rights.
Adults under 21 can't buy a handgun in a gun store, for example. Federal law prohibits that, and while some states also prohibit them from buying certain long guns as well, they can get them as gifts or buy them in face-to-face transfers. The problem is that carrying one is still an issue in many places, including some pro-gun states.
West Virginia, for example, was one of those states. Was, though—past tense.
A new West Virginia law took effect Friday, allowing eligible residents to carry a concealed handgun without a permit beginning at age 18.
According to sister station WOWK, House Bill 4106 expands the state’s permitless carry law to adults ages 18 through 20 who do not have a disqualifying criminal record.
West Virginia is a constitutional carry state, allowing eligible residents to carry concealed firearms without a concealed handgun license. Before the law took effect, adults between 18 and 20 years old were required to obtain a Concealed Handgun License and complete a firearms safety course before carrying a concealed handgun.
Similar legislation has been introduced in previous legislative sessions, but HB 4106 passed during the 2026 session.
The bill faced opposition from some medical professionals, including pediatricians.
During a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting in March, Dr. Jim McJunkin said firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in the United States. He said expanding permitless carry to younger adults creates concerns because of impulsive behavior, risk-taking and the potential for substance abuse.
This is a common claim, and it's not without some merit. The human brain doesn't really stop developing in the prefrontal cortex until around the age of 25. That's the region of the brain that governs things like impulse control. So yeah, impulsive behavior is a concern for adults under 21.
However, I find it odd that people like Dr. McJunkin don't seem to speak out about the issues with such impulsive behavior while looking at any other rights enjoyed by adults in this age category. It's not a concern with voting, for example, and I'm sure the fact that younger people have historically been more leftist in their voting habits has absolutely nothing at all to do with that discrepancy.
Then we have the bogus claim that guns are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Let's keep in mind that the studies claim that excluded children under the age of one, then counted 18- and 19-year-olds as "children" despite being legal adults. These included those involved in criminal activity and gangs, who typically are carrying a gun despite any laws forbidding them from doing so.
When you include infants and remove legal adults, the numbers change, and suddenly, things like car accidents take the lead. It's almost like they deliberately manipulated the data to reach a desired outcome, but so-called researchers would never do that, would they?
The truth of the matter is that several states already allow permitless carry for adults under 21, and they've done so during this period when homicide rates are dropping like a rock.
That alone shows the complaints to be absolute nonsense.
