A combination of state and federal laws governs gun purchases in Maine. In brief:

• Buyers must be 21 or older to purchase a handgun

• Buyers must be 18 or older to purchase a rifle or shotgun.

• Dealers must do a computerized criminal check of each buyer, using information supplied by the buyer at the time of purchase. Information includes name, age, residence, physical description, citizenship and questions aimed at ascertaining a criminal history or a history of certified mental instability. The process often takes well under a half-hour.

• Private sellers of guns are not required to do background checks.

• There is no waiting period to purchase a gun in Maine.

Source: William Gomane of the Maine Department of Public Safety and Paul Brooks, owner of Woodman’s Sporting Goods, Norway