More than three decades following the 1968 Gun Control Act, which banned gun ownership by minors and adults with felony records, the debate on gun control continues, often with heated words and plenty of legislative action from both sides of the debate. With approximately 20,000 federal, state, and local gun laws in the United States, the gun control arena seems at times its own industry. Many argue that even more gun control laws are needed to curtail the trend of increased gun use and violence.

The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence states, “We believe we can save lives by regulating the sale of firearms and we believe there’s more than adequate proof of that.” Citing examples of crimes thwarted by gun restrictions, gun control groups point out that laws have deterred crime by making it harder for potential criminals to...