Sen. Pat Roberts: Ban That ‘Bump Magazine,’ Raise Minimum AR-15 Purchase Age to 25

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, chairman, Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, speaks, wi
AP/Cliff Owen

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) supports banning that “bump magazine” and raising the minimum purchase age for an AR-15 to 25.

By “bump magazine” Roberts is referring to a bump stock, which numerous lawmakers supported banning on October 2, 2017, although they did not even know the accessories existed on September 30, 2017.

CJOnline.com reports that Roberts received hundreds of thousands of dollars and a “consistent ‘A’ [rating]” from the NRA in the past.

He said, “I don’t think there’s any reason we can’t get rid of that bump magazine. Then there’s the talk about the AR-15, or the AK-47 if you really want to go back a ways, limiting that to the range. If people want that, then they’re going to have to be older. Obviously, they’re going to have to have training. Hunters don’t use that, or if they do, they shouldn’t.”

When asked specifically about a minimum age for purchasing AR-15s, Roberts said, “I’d raise that to 21. Hell, I’d raise that to 25.”

The NRA is opposed to raising minimum ages for firearm purchases. CNN quoted the NRA’s Jennifer Baker:

Federal Law prohibits adults under the age of 21 from purchasing a handgun from a licensed firearm dealer. Legislative proposals that prevent law-abiding adults aged 18-20 years old from acquiring rifles and shotguns effectively prohibits them for purchasing any firearm, thus depriving them of their constitutional right to self-protection.

Sen. Roberts responded, saying, “I think the NRA’s going to be a little flexible on this. I think it would be in their best interest.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets with AWR Hawkins, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.

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