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Gun Control Laws and Enforcement Trends 2023

How do gun control laws impact firearm-related crimes? This article reviews gun control in America.

Report Highlights

  • The amount of State gun laws nearly doubled between 1991 and 2016 (Source).

  • The first Federal gun control law was passed in the 1934 National Firearms Act, which limited civilians’ access to machine guns, suppressors, short-barreled shotguns, and others (Source).

  • Between 1886 and 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States interpreted the Second Amendment to include the right of the individual to keep and bear arms six times.

  • Homicides (all methods) increased 27% from 1968 to 2021.

  • Homicide rates increased 28% while incarceration rates fell 15% during the 2020 pandemic.

  • The 1994 Crime Bill authorized $12.5 Billion dollars for law enforcement, while the ATF receives $1.5 billion annually to enforce Federal firearm laws.

  • The ATF seized more than 360,000 firearms in 2021 (Source).

The Enforcement of Laws vs. The Passing of New Laws

Timeline of Federal Firearm Laws in the U.S.

Laws

  • 1934 National Firearms Act

  • 1938 Federal Firearms Act

  • 1968 Gun Control Act

  • 1986 Firearm Owner’s Protection Act

  • 1988 Undetectable Firearms Act

  • 1990 Gun-Free School Zones Act

  • 1993 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act

  • 1994 Public Safety & Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act

  • 2022 Protecting Our Kids Act

Supreme Court Cases Involving Individual’s Rights to Bear Arms

Timeline of Federal Firearm Laws in the U.S.

Economic Costs of Enforcing Gun Laws

  • ATF - 2022 - $1.5 Billion

  • NICS - 2022 - $8.4 Billion

  • Criminal Justice System - 2022 - $12.62 Billion

*Compared to $2.8 Billion in medical costs yearly.

Economic Costs of Enforcing Gun Laws

ATF Conviction Stats

  • 34,436 Cases Initiated

  • 10,138 Recommended for prosecution

  • 6,315 Prosecuted

  • 5,338 Convicted

*The Federal Government prosecutes 15% of all cases initiated.

ATF Conviction Stats

Gun Laws & Prosecution Trends

Gun Laws & Prosecution Trends

Firearm Laws & National Homicide Trends

Homicides in the U.S. are now 27% higher than before the 1968 Gun Control Act (per capita). They declined by nearly 20% after the 1994 Crime Bill and remained low until 2015. Homicide rates sharply increased in 2019.

Firearm Laws & National Homicide Trends

Incarceration Trends & Homicide

Incarceration Trends & Homicide

Sources

Gun Control Laws and Enforcement Trends 2023 originally appeared in The Resistance Library at Ammo.com.

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