Table 3.
Laws Examined in Primary Studies
| Firearm Law | Date of Enactment | Description |
|---|---|---|
| “Shall issue” or “right to carry” laws (United States) | Different enactment dates for each state | These laws allow qualified individuals to carry concealed firearms. Qualified individual criteria require that eligible individuals have no felony convictions, no pending domestic violence orders, no drug or alcohol disorders or charges, and no hospitalizations in a mental institution. Individuals usually must also have American citizenship, state citizenship, and county residency; have met the minimum age requirement; and have a certificate of completion of a firearm safety course. In addition, some states have may-issue laws, which are laws containing language suggesting that a qualified individual could be denied the permit to carry concealed firearms (36). |
| Gun Control Act of 1968 (United States) | October 22, 1968 | This law banned the sale of Saturday night specials (handguns), blocked the importation of firearms that did not meet criteria for being classified for sporting or scientific purposes, prohibited dealers from shipping firearms to other states and prohibited the sale of firearms to buyers without state identification, implemented license requirements for firearm sellers and owners, and banned possession and purchasing of firearms by minors (under 18 years for rifles and 21 years for handguns) and high-risk-group individuals (persons convicted of a felony, mental health problems, or illegal drug users) (147). |
| Florida felony firearm law (United States) | October 1, 1975 | This law mandated a 3-year sentence for possessing a firearm or destructive device while committing or attempting to commit any of the specified felonies in the law (including murder, sexual battery, robbery, burglary, and aggravated assault). Sentences could not be suspended, deferred, or withheld, and the defendant could not be eligible for parole until the minimum 3 years had been served (85). |
| Massachusetts gun control law (United States) | April 1, 1975 | This law mandated a 1-year minimum prison term for the unlicensed carrying of firearms. In addition, the law required a Firearms Owner Identification card to own or possess either firearms or ammunition. Sentences could not be suspended, and the defendant could not be eligible for parole until at least 1 year had been served (79). |
| District of Columbia 1976 law (United States) | July 23, 1976 | This law required that every person who owned and had firearms should register them under the provision of the 1968 law and should reregister them with the Metropolitan Police Department 60 days after the effective date of the Act. New rifles and shotguns could be registered if purchased from a licensed dealer and after passing a background check for criminal records and history of substance use or mental health problems. The law also strengthened safe storage requirements, including keeping firearms unloaded or bound by a trigger-locking device (97, 148). |
| Michigan Felony Firearm Law (United States) | February 11, 1976 (effective date: January 1, 1977) | This law mandated a 2-year sentence for possessing a firearm for felonies committed with or in possession of firearms. Sentences could not be suspended, deferred, or withheld, and the defendant could not be eligible for parole until the minimum 2 years had been served (84). |
| New Jersey “Graves Amendment” (United States) | February 12, 1981 | This law mandated a minimum sentence of imprisonment for any person involved in a crime who was in possession of a firearm. The minimum sentence also applied to those convicted of possession of a firearm with intention to use against another person. Sentences could not be suspended, and the defendant could not be eligible for parole until the mandatory sentence had been served. The minimum sentence was one third to one half of the total sentence imposed or 3 years, whichever was greater, for first, second, and third degree crimes and 18 months for fourth degree crimes (87). |
| 1986 Detroit law (United States) | November 26, 1986 | This law imposed mandatory jail sentences of 30–90 days and a fine of $100–$500, depending on whether or not it was a first conviction under the ordinance, on anyone convicted of unlawfully concealing a pistol or carrying a firearm (88). |
| 1994 Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (United States) | November 30, 1993 | The Brady Act instituted federal background checks on firearm purchasers from a federally licensed dealer, manufacturer, or importer. |
| Prohibitions applied to an individual convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 1 year, fugitives from justice, unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance, persons with mental conditions or committed to a mental institution, a person being unlawfully in the United States, a person with a court restraining order for domestic violence, or convicted in any court of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence (149). | ||
| 1994 Federal assault weapons ban (The Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act) (United States) | September 13, 1994 | This law banned the manufacture, transfer, sale, and possession of certain semiautomatic weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines. Semiautomatic weapons fire a bullet each time the trigger is squeezed, loading the next bullet after each shot. Weapons already in possession at the time of the law's enactment were grandfathered. The law was enacted in 1994 and expired in 2004. None of the attempts to renew it has prospered (76). |
| Maryland Gun Violence Act (United States) | Effective date: October 1, 1996 | This law set stronger restrictions to prevent firearm purchases including background checks and registration of handguns sold by private gun owners, 1 handgun purchase per month, and greater authority given to police and judges to confiscate firearms from domestic violence offenders (77). |
| Castle doctrine laws and stand your ground laws (United States) | Different enactment dates for each state | These laws include those eliminating the duty to retreat before using lethal force against an assailant in one's own home and a list of other places and those removing any civil liability for those acting under that law and under the principle of self-defense (53, 54). |
| Bill C-51 (Canada) | August 5, 1977 | This law increased sentences (1–14 year consecutive sentence for the actual use of a firearm to commit an indictable offense; stricter penalties for firearm homicides) and required permits for firearm sellers and certificates for buyers; the law also included provisions dealing with new offenses, search and seizure powers, and prohibitions to sell fully automatic weapons unless registered as restricted weapons before January 1, 1978. In addition, the law included specific procedures to store firearms and the elimination of permits to carry guns to defend property (150). |
| Bill C-17 (Canada) | December 5, 1991 | This law implemented stricter storage requirements and stricter restrictions to purchase firearms including photographs and personal references. A 28-day waiting period and mandatory courses for safe handling and storage for new gun owners were also required. The law also included new restrictions for prohibited weapons, including automatic, semiautomatic, and military firearms and those with large-capacity cartridge magazines. In addition, the law also increased penalties for crimes committed with firearms (150). |
| Bill C-68 (Canada) | December 5, 1995 | This law included minimum sentences for individuals committing crimes while carrying firearms, a more organized regulatory process for licensing and registration of firearms, a license to purchase firearms and ammunition, a requirement for spousal notification, and registration of all firearms including rifles and shotguns (150). |
| The 1996 National Firearms Agreement (Australia) | Government's agreement date: May 10, 1996 | The National Firearms Agreement included banning the importation, ownership, sale, transfer, possession, manufacture, or use of all self-loading center rifles, all self-loading and pump action shotguns, and all self-loading rim fire rifles. The law included the following: implementation of a buyback program for prohibited firearms; mandatory registration of all firearms; licensing requirements proving genuine reason for owning a firearm; being at least 18 years of age to buy guns; a 28-day waiting period to purchase a firearm; requirement of a separate permit for each firearm purchased; certification of being mentally and physically fit to own, possess, and use a firearm; required background checks for gun sales; for recreational and hunting purposes, required membership of an authorized shooting club or permission from a hunting land owner; strict firearm storage requirements; licenses for firearm dealers and all records of sales to be provided to the police; restrictions to purchase ammunition (quantities within a time period) and only for the licensed firearms owned by the buyer; and an accredited training course certificate in firearm safety for new applicants (151, 152). |
| National “Army XXI” reform (Switzerland) | January 1, 2004 | The national reform that reduced by half the number of active soldiers, increased the fee to purchase a military gun, and implemented license requirements for gun owners (68). |
| 1977 South Australia Firearms Act (Australia) | May 12, 1977 | This regulation required a license for firearm purchases; new owners were required to pass an examination on the handling and safety of weapons. The law also included increments in the severity of penalties for firearm offenders and registration of all firearms (153). |
| Estatuto do Desarmamento (Brazil) | December 22, 2003 | This law tightened restrictions on the possession and commercialization of firearms and ammunition, banned the carrying of firearms, implemented requirements for the registration of firearms, increased firearm costs, and established stronger penalties for illegal trafficking of firearms. In addition, background checks were implemented for firearm sales that included checking for criminal and mental health records. The minimum age to purchase was increased to 25 years (154). |
| The 1997 firearm law (Austria) | July 1997 | This law included background checks for category B weapons (handguns, semiautomatic firearms, repeating firearms, or single shot firearms with center fire percussion) in addition to psychological testing; also, the law required a 3-day “cooling-off” waiting period for category C and D weapons including long firearms with a smooth bore and rifled barrels and other semiautomatic long firearms. The law increased the minimum age to purchase to 21 years and also included safer firearm storage regulations (123). |
| Amendment to the Arms Act (New Zealand) | October 27, 1992 | The law required licensing for dealers and licensing for firearm owners that included the following: passing a test on knowledge of the Firearms Code and rules of firearm safety; police assessments of the applicant and the applicant's home that include checks for firearm storage, security, and social arrangements; and interviews with 2 referees of whom one was a partner or parent in a process that could take 8–12 weeks. The law also included stricter safe storage requirements with ammunition being kept separately from firearms (125). |
| Firearms Control Act (South Africa) | October 2000 | This law required firearm licenses for firearm purchases; the licensing process required background checks (criminal and mental health records) of applicants to be submitted to the registrar, completion of training, and passing a test on the efficient and safe handling of firearms. The law also required an additional license per each gun owned. Fully automatic guns were banned, and the minimum age to purchase and carry firearms was increased to 21 years (155, 156). |