When was the first gun control bill?

Posted on May 22, 2024 (May 22, 2024) by Daniel Mitchell

Gun control is an issue that has been heavily discussed in recent years. The right to bear arms was written into the United States Constitution hundreds of years ago, but over time, there have been a variety of factors that have influenced the development of America’s federal gun policies.
In 1934, the first national gun control legislation was passed by President Roosevelt called the National Firearms Act (NFA). It was part of his ‘New Deal for Crime’ and was set into action to help curb crimes – especially those with firearms. In this act, there was a new tax on the manufacturing, selling, and transporting of specific firearms, including rifles, machine guns, and short-barrel shotguns, to name a few. There was also an extensive application process enacted, and waiting periods were added. In 1938, a new Federal Firearms Act was introduced, which required gun manufacturers, importers, and dealers to get a federal firearm license. Convicted felons were also excluded from purchasing guns and gun sellers were required to start keeping customer records. In between this time, there was not much happening in the way of new gun control laws, but then in 1968, the NFA was repealed and replaced by the Gun Control Act, which happened after the assassinations of several key figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King and President John F. Kennedy.

In 1986, Congress passed the Firearm Owners Protection Act, which provided protections for gun owners, and then seven years later, President Clinton signed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act into law, which requires people to undergo background checks before buying a gun from a licensed dealer. This law also instituted the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which is monitored and controlled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Since this time, there have been a handful of other laws and amendments made. One thing is certain: gun control is a big topic that has many facets to it. It is important to stay on top of what changes are happening on the federal and state level, so you know how it relates to you as a firearm owner.