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A US federal court of appeals has ruled that California's ban on the sale of semiautomatic weapons to to adults under 21 is unconstitutional.
A three-judge panel ruled that the ban violates the Second Amendment, citing the fact that young people serve and fight in the US military.
One of the judges, Judge Ryan Nelson wrote:
"America would not exist without the heroism of the young adults who fought and died in our revolutionary army...Today we reaffirm that our Constitution still protects the right that enabled their sacrifice: the right of young adults to keep and bear arms."
The court has upheld a rule that requires those under 21 to secure a hunting license before buying rifles or shotguns.