There are multiple 2021 gun control trends you’ll want to keep an eye on, because some have the potential to limit your rights as a law-abiding gun owner. These trends include a series of potential law changes that could make it more challenging to retain your legally purchased firearms.
Legal challenges to the existing gun laws at the state and federal levels are nothing new. The goal is often to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, but these laws usually have the opposite effect, because illegal firearms will still flood the marketplace.
Law-abiding gun owners should be aware of these trends to ensure they don’t end up breaking any new laws and don’t do anything allowing the government to infringe on their Second Amendment rights. This guide will take you through some gun control attempts expected through the rest of 2021 and provide information on why you must monitor them.
Why It’s Important to Monitor Gun Control Trends
Staying current on gun control trends in the United States ensures you know when modifications are coming and can adjust when they happen. Learning as much as possible about potential legal reforms also allows you to be proactive and potentially drive change. Here are a few actions you can take:
Stay Compliant
Knowing the trends ensures you’re compliant with any new laws or requirements. Being aware of licensing or registration rules allows you to stay up to date with your documentation, preventing the government from having any reason to take your firearms.
Know Your Rights
New laws can bring about transitional periods that leave many people unsure of their rights. It’s critical that you know what you can and can’t do as a law-abiding gun owner whenever these situations arise so your rights aren’t infringed upon in 2021.
Protect Your Freedoms
Keeping an eye on what’s happening in other states can help you drive change and protect the freedoms in your area. You can write letters to your representatives when you see new laws that could limit your freedoms appearing in other locations around the country. Being proactive is the best way to prevent potential law changes from taking away your rights.
The sky isn’t falling, and we won’t see any significant gun control reform in the coming months, but new laws could still cause challenges for responsible gun owners. Monitoring the trends as they develop ensures you’re on top of them and can make adjustments to protect your family whenever necessary.
6 2021 Gun Control Trends
The 2021 gun control trends we’re seeing involve proposed law changes that could affect people all over the country. There is some common sense to these laws, at least on the surface, because they aim to reduce criminality. It remains to be seen, however, how they will work, and there’s a good chance they’ll affect law-abiding gun owners as well.
1. Red Flag Laws
One of the most controversial items we’ll see come to the forefront in 2021 is red flag legislation. The gist is that red flag laws allow police or family members to get temporary court orders banning people in crisis from accessing firearms, essentially taking away their Second Amendment rights. The Justice Department is publishing model legislation, and the states will be incentivized to adopt these into law, with federal legislation being a possibility in the future.
2. Mandatory Buyback Programs
Another controversial item that people will be talking about in 2021 is a mandatory buyback program for firearms. The idea is that the government would purchase banned weapons from individuals who still own them, removing them from circulation. There’s little evidence to suggest these programs work, though, because criminals are highly unlikely to sell their guns.
3. Ghost Gun Bans
Ghost gun kits are becoming more popular, because they allow individuals to build a firearm in as little as 30 minutes. The issue is that people who aren’t permitted to own guns can get their hands on these kits, causing problems for authorities and the general population because they aren’t traceable. New York State is considering legislation banning these kits, and we could see other parts of the country follow suit.
4. Firearm Licensing and Registration
Lawmakers proposed the Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act, a bill calling for a federal licensing and registration system, in the House earlier this year. The bill would also ban certain kinds of ammo and large-capacity ammunition feeding devices. The bill is expected to have a difficult road to passage, but the trend toward these forms of restrictions is worth monitoring.
5. Holding Manufacturers Accountable
New York State is also discussing legislation that would make it easier to file lawsuits against gun manufacturers when criminals use their products. The idea is that holding manufacturers accountable will ensure they keep a closer eye on the dealers selling their firearms to those not authorized to have them.
6. Continued Industry Growth
New laws could make it challenging for legal gun owners to get their hands on firearms in the future, but the industry is booming for now. The FBI completed a record 39.69 million background checks in 2020, suggesting that gun purchases are at all-time highs in the United States. This trend should continue in 2021.
Legal amendments and other trends could eventually lead to changes for the gun industry, but for now, law-abiding Americans are purchasing firearms at record levels. This trend shows there’s little appetite for significant change, despite what the government might have in store. That means your best chance to get a concealed carry permit is now before the laws change.
Get Your Concealed Carry Permit From the Nationwide Experts
Whatever happens with 2021 gun control trends, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself and your rights. One such method is obtaining a state-approved concealed carry permit, because this certification could become more challenging to get in the future.
Concealed Coalition is the national authority in concealed carry permit training. Our instructors are certified in multiple states and have taught over one million law-abiding gun owners all over the country. Contact Concealed Coalition today to discuss your firearm training needs.