Colin August Rocco

Brad Touma History 9

10.9.20
Key

Gun Buying Limitations

Gun control has been an issue in the United States for years and many laws and limitations have been

put in place to reduce the amount of violence seen in our streets and schools to date. Still Americans all

over the country fall victim to gun violence and experience shootings nearly everyday. The second

amendment and the buying and selling of firearms has been ridiculed for years, due to the weapons that

can be bought with such easy access, like the AR15 and other semi-automatic rifles. Many Americans

can go into a gun store and buy a semi-automatic rifle with ammunition and large capacity magazines

with a minor background check. These checks need to be more thorough and need to investigate the

mental health and the experience with firearms of those who are buying guns. Gun control should

include extensive background checks and place limitations on certain weapons and sale of ammo of rifle

and handguns, outlaw specific modifications to a firearm, and informing law enforcement about the

purchasing a firearm.

The sale of semi-automatic rifles like the AR15 (ArmaLite-15) had gone up 300% from 2010 to 2015 a

massing at nearly 1,332,000 rifles sold in a span of time. 1 In those 5 years there were 38 school

shootings resulting in the death of one or more student or teacher at the campus. The deadliest of those

shootings occurred in Newtown, Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary. In that shooting the weapons

used were a Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifle and a Glock 20 SF handgun; these weapons shoot .223
1
Paletta, Damian. “U.S. Gun Manufacturers Have Produced 150 Million Guns since 1986.” The Denver Post, The
Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2018, accessed October 8, 2020. www.denverpost.com/2018/02/23/how-many-guns-are-
there/.
Remington/ 5.56x45mm NATO rounds and 10mm auto rounds.2 The weapons also involved had

extended magazines holding a total of 55 round for the XM15 and 27 rounds of ammo for the Glock. 3

These types of ammo are capable of causing significant amount of damage and should not be in the

hands of a human who is so disturbed as much as this individual. There is also no practical reason for the

average citizen should have unlimited access to these types of firearms. Restrictions for these kinds of

weapons need to in place because only experienced firearm handlers or those who pass extensive

mental health checks should have access to acquire these types of weapons.

Our founding fathers never would even see the innovation of semi-automatic rifles or the

modifications that can be purchased for that weapon. These modifications that include custom triggers,

extended magazines, and bump stocks along with pistol grips. These modifications allow the person

wielding the firearm to expend a large volume of rounds quickly. Take for example the bump stock

which uses the natural recoil of the weapon to go back and forth on the trigger allowing the round to be

fired much quicker than the standard one pull one shot in most rifles. 4 The other attachments I have

stated have been used in some of the deadliest shooting in America such as the Las Vegas shooting,

Akron, Ohio, and San Bernardino; all involved fell victim to the limited control of The United States

government on these certain mods which are simply made to fire more round downrange at a quicker

pace which in the end led to many deaths of innocent civilians. 5

2
Sandy Hook School Shooting.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 11 Dec. 2013, accessed October 8, 2020.
www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gunman-kills-students-and-adults-at-newtown-connecticut-elementary-
school
3
“Legal & Illegal Firearm Modifications: High Dosage.” High Dosage - SEO Article, Private Blog Article Site, 1 June
2019, accessed October 8, 2020. ww.highdosage.com/legal-illegal-firearm-modifications/.
4

“Legal & Illegal Firearm Modifications: High Dosage.” High Dosage - SEO Article, Private Blog Article Site, 1 June
2019, accessed October 8, 2020. ww.highdosage.com/legal-illegal-firearm-modifications/.

5
Paletta, Damian. “U.S. Gun Manufacturers Have Produced 150 Million Guns since 1986.” The Denver Post, The
Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2018, accessed October 8, 2020. www.denverpost.com/2018/02/23/how-many-guns-are-
there/.
 The final way that the second amendment can be slightly changed a make America safer is the

requirement of informing law enforcement. This way when a firearm is purchased the weapon must be

sent to law enforcement for further inception of the weapon and that the person buying the firearms

has the correct credentials. This is beneficial because not only can law enforcement track the weapon,

but they can also a presence of mind of the guns that are around them in the community and take

precautions to allow for safer confrontations. This also goes into the background check aspect of these

guns laws where law enforcement can be aware of any crimes that have occurred with the person, also

constantly monitor the mental health of the person in possession of that weapon. 6From these

monitoring of those who own guns and the recorded purchase of the firearms there can be a seizure of

the weapon if the law deems the person unfit to have a weapon in their possession.

In conclusion, the second amendment needs to have change but not the full abolishment of firearms,

but restrictions and limitations placed on certain weapons and those who decide to purchase the

weapon. Americans have seen the violence that these weapons can do when the weapon is put in the

wrong hands. Change is needed now more then ever because the generation need to be aware of the

harm and risk of firearms, since we are the ones who have seen the most school shootings in American

history. This is why we as Americans need there to be limitations on certain weapons that can be

purchased, more mental health and background checks, and letting local law enforcement know the

guns and owners of those guns that are in their cities.

6
Paletta, Damian. “U.S. Gun Manufacturers Have Produced 150 Million Guns since 1986.” The Denver Post, The
Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2018, accessed October 8, 2020. www.denverpost.com/2018/02/23/how-many-guns-are-
there/.
 Works Cited

“Legal & Illegal Firearm Modifications: HIgh Dosage.” High Dosage - SEO Article, Private Blog Article Site,

1 June 2019, www.highdosage.com/legal-illegal-firearm-modifications/.

Paletta, Damian. “U.S. Gun Manufacturers Have Produced 150 Million Guns since 1986.” The Denver
Post, The Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2018, accessed October 8, 2020.
www.denverpost.com/2018/02/23/how-many-guns-are-there/.

Sandy Hook School Shooting.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 11 Dec. 2013, accessed October 8,
2020. www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gunman-kills-students-and-adults-at-newtown-connecticut-
elementary-school