The Gift of Self-Defense: a Very Good 21st Birthday Present
Something to think about
This has come up a couple of times lately, with folks taking the class asking about what they should do in terms of their kids coming of age.And with all the muggings and robberies around the U, it's not unreasonable for both college students and their parents to think about the risks involved in discreetly ignoring University regulations vs. the more serious risks of being the victim of a robbery, or worse.
What with 21 being the minimum age to get a Minnesota carry permit, getting your son or daughter — or yourself — a carry permit as a 21st birthday present is something to think about.
In a lot of ways, it makes sense. The 21st birthday is, in American tradition and much of American law, the transition into adulthood, although in most ways it's been replaced by the 18th birthday.
If anything, that argues in favor of the carry permit as a 21st birthday present — it'll help to give it more, err, bang (so to speak) than it might otherwise have.
And, if you're looking for a Great Big 21st Birthday Present for your son or daughter, this would qualify — although it's not an inexpensive one. (We'll get to costs shortly.) It can, if you'd like, be a surprise birthday present: a birthday card with an IOU in it would work just fine.
On the other hand, if your idea is, say, for your kid to be able to walk into the sheriff's office on her birthday and apply for her (I'm going to use her, hers, and she throughout this; there's even a better argument in favor of getting your daughter a carry permit than there is for your son; women benefit even more than men do from being able to protect themselves) carry permit, there is a some preparation required.
Some background
This can get just a little complicated.The minimum age to apply for and get a carry permit is 21; however, in Minnesota, a training certificate — like you get when you complete Twin Cities Carry — is good for a year. This means that any time after your daughter turns 20, she can take the class, and you can legally buy her a handgun as a gift . . . although you can't buy it for her if she's going to pay you back — that's technically a "straw purchase," and while your chances of ever being in trouble for that would actually be very low, you should want to obey the law, and encourage her to do so, too.
Another minor complication
In Minnesota, people under 21 can't buy handgun ammunition; they can, however, receive it as a gift.Choosing a gun for somebody else...
That can be a problem. The reason that they make so many different guns and different kinds of guns is that, well, people have different requirements and different preferences.That said, a Double Action Only snubby revolver is almost never going to be a mistake for personal protection, and it is the gun prescribed in Beginner To Carry.
Putting it all together
So, let's assume that you've decided that you want to do this, and it's a few months before your daughter's birthday. Here's what to do.1. Get the gun and ammo. I'd recommend that you get a Smith and Wesson 642, from your choice of gun shop; it should run about $350. If the grip doesn't fit her hand perfectly, you or she will be able to get another one. While it's legal to buy it for her as a legitimate present, you can check the box on the form that asks if you are the actual buyer of the firearm, because you are: you're actually buying it to give as a present.
Let's be a bit flashy here: since you're going to encourage her to practice regularly, pick up a case of practice ammo and a couple of boxes of carry ammo at Streicher's.
2. Sign her up for a carry class. Obviously, you'll have to work out the timing with her; this isn't for a surprise present . . . but you can leave out everything else that's going into the present.
I'll be happy to have her in Beginner To Carry if she doesn't have firearms experience, or Twin Cities Carry, if she does.
She can use her new gun there, or one of mine. By the time we're done, we should have a good idea if it works for her.
3. Holsters and other stuff. As we discuss in class, she'll need some other stuff. If you want to buy it for her, it should include a pocket holster (belt holsters are another deal), a good gunbelt (the Galco sport belt, while a men's belt, works just fine for jeans and such, as long as you get it in the right size — waist size if she belts her jeans at the waist; hip size, if not); a small keyed firebox ($30 at Office Max) and so forth.
4. And then the easy part. With all the ducks lined up, so to speak, walking into the sheriff's office on her birthday to apply for her permit will be pretty straightforward.
5. And, finally, the hard part. It'll take up to thirty days for the permit to arrive . . .