The first item on Joe Biden’s list of anti-gun proposals is the repeal of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. If he’s elected and Democrats re-take control of the Senate, that could price guns out of the reach of many Americans and threaten the existence of many gun manufacturers.
Gun-control advocates sometimes claim that gun makers cater to the criminal market with low prices and easy concealability. This doesn’t pass muster. Lightweight, compact firearms make life easier for the 19.48 million Americans who carry concealed handguns, and women generally prefer smaller, lightweight guns.
My research finds increases in gun ownership are associated with drops in crime, not rises. Poor people in the areas with the highest crime rates benefit the most from owning guns, according to my studies. But gun-maker liability would be sure to make guns unaffordable for them. Police also believe gun ownership helps to combat crime: When PoliceOne surveyed its members in 2013, around 76% answered that legally armed citizens are very or extremely important in reducing crime.
If high-profile Democrats really believe that guns produce no benefits, they ought to ask their bodyguards to disarm. Instead, these politicians disarm vulnerable people.
Mr. Trump is right: Democrats want to ban guns. And if they win the Senate and abolish its filibuster, as they keep threatening, they could do it.
– John Lott in Democrats are Coming for Your Guns