We know the Founding Fathers did their best under trying circumstances that reflected democratic ideals as well as societal inequities. Context matters—as we keep being reminded by those who lionize the Second Amendment in the 21st century world of AR-15 retail sales.
But one 18th century outlook, a holdover from colonial rule, still makes sense today—especially when it involves the purchase of firearms. The legal age of adulthood was 21 for several centuries.