Criminals, by definition, do not obey the law. Gun control laws only affect law-abiding people who go through legal avenues to obtain firearms. Criminals overwhelmingly obtain their firearms through illegal channels and will never be deterred by state and federal laws.

A 2019 survey conducted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) found that some 43 percent of criminals had bought their firearms on the black market, 6 percent acquired them via theft, and 10 percent made a retail purchase – 0.8 percent purchased a weapon from a gun show.

70% of likely-trafficked guns recovered in New York originated in Iron Pipeline states. Approximately 95% of these guns were handguns. Virginia (15%), Georgia (13%), and Pennsylvania (13%) were the top three source states for out-of-state likely-trafficked guns.

Gun Effectiveness Guns prevent an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year, or 6,849 every day. Most often, the gun is never fired, and no blood (including the criminal’s) is shed. Every year, 400,000 life-threatening violent crimes are prevented using firearms.

In short, gun ownership does not increase safety, and the prevalence of guns directly correlates with significantly greater risk of gun-related homicides and suicides. While the facts surrounding the safety of having a gun in the home are clear, the choice to own a gun is more complicated for many homeowners.

“Stronger gun laws, including stronger background checks, banning assault weapons, addressing firearm trafficking, and encouraging safe firearm storage;” “Violence prevention programs addressing the needs of at-risk children and children exposed to violence;”

Results indicate that gun control laws generally show no evidence of effects on crime rates, possibly because gun levels do not have a net positive effect on violence rates. Although a minority of laws seem to show effects, they are as likely to imply violence-increasing effects as violence-decreasing effects.

Opponents say that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns; that guns are needed for self-defense from threats ranging from local criminals to foreign invaders; and that gun ownership deters crime rather than causes more crime.

In a 5-4 decision, the Court, meticulously detailing the history and tradition of the Second Amendment at the time of the Constitutional Convention, proclaimed that the Second Amendment established an individual right for U.S. citizens to possess firearms and struck down the D.C. handgun ban as violative of that right.

Contrary to popular rhetoric, there is no Constitutional impediment to outlawing assault weapons. Circuit Courts have applied Heller to uphold state and local laws banning the possession of assault weapons and/or large ammunition clips. …

2016) (reiterating Third Circuit and Supreme Court precedent that machine gun possession is not protected by Second Amendment).

A hand-cranked gatling gun is 100% legal. Hell, if they were built prior to 1898 they aren’t even legally considered firearms.

The definition of a “destructive device” is found in 26 U.S.C. § 5845. Thus, a bazooka and the rounds would be considered destructive devices under Title II. These are not illegal but are heavily regulated at both the State and Federal level.

Civilians cannot own a tank with operational guns or explosives unless they have a Federal Destructive Device permit or license. However, permits are rarely issued for the private use of active tanks. The National Firearms Act (NFA) regulates the sale of destructive devices and several other categories of guns.