From misguided regulations to downright absurd restrictions, America’s patchwork of firearm laws too often targets the wrong people – law-abiding citizens. Across the country, certain policies are passed in the name of safety or justice, but end up punishing responsible gun owners while doing nothing to stop criminals. Let’s break down seven of the most nonsensical gun laws currently on the books and explain why they make no real sense.
1. Taxing Gun Owners to Fund Crime Victim Support
In Colorado, a proposed 9% tax on firearms and ammunition purchases is being floated as a way to support victims of mass shootings and fund mental health initiatives. On paper, it sounds compassionate. In reality, it amounts to collective punishment of law-abiding gun owners. This tax targets people who legally purchase guns for sport, protection, or collection – while ignoring the fact that criminals obtain their firearms illegally. It’s a move that assigns blame to responsible citizens simply because they exercise a constitutional right.
If the state truly wants to help victims or fund mental health resources, a fairer approach would be a general tax applied to the broader population – not singling out one group for the actions of another.
2. Microstamping: A Forensic Fantasy
Microstamping, a policy embraced in California and New York, requires new handguns to imprint unique identifiers onto spent casings. The idea is that these microscopic markings can help track a firearm back to its owner. The problem? It’s laughably easy to exploit.
Spent brass can be collected from shooting ranges and dropped at a crime scene to frame innocent people. Criminals could easily manipulate the evidence, while responsible owners are forced to retrieve every single casing after a range trip just to protect themselves. Microstamping adds complexity, cost, and legal risk for legal gun owners – without actually solving crime.
3. BB Guns Treated Like Real Firearms
In New Jersey, even BB guns fall under extreme regulation. To own one, you need a Firearms ID card. To carry it? You need a permit. To transport it in your car? Another permit. Some newer BB guns with built-in sound suppression are outright illegal.
This isn’t just regulatory overreach – it’s absurd. BB guns are often the first safe training tool used to teach kids about firearm safety and handling. Banning or over-regulating them deters education and drives an unnecessary wedge between responsible parents and important life lessons for their children.
4. Shooting Range Bans in Cities
It’s hard to argue for responsible gun ownership when citizens are banned from practicing. In cities like Chicago and Blairstown, New Jersey, laws were passed to outlaw commercial shooting ranges. These bans make absolutely no sense – especially in urban environments where people don’t have access to private land for safe practice.
Shooting ranges offer controlled, safe environments for training, and help reinforce responsible firearm use. Taking them away forces people to either stop practicing or travel far outside city limits. It doesn’t reduce crime – it only reduces preparation.
5. Magazine Capacity Restrictions
Several states, including Rhode Island, enforce magazine capacity limits – often set at 10 or 15 rounds. Gun owners must either modify or surrender their standard-capacity magazines or face harsh penalties, including prison time and heavy fines.
But criminals aren’t waiting in line to comply. They’ll continue using whatever magazines they want, while only law-abiding citizens are burdened by the change. If someone is intent on doing harm, reloading an extra magazine won’t stop them. Capacity limits are cosmetic laws – easy to promote, but ineffective in practice.
6. Stand Your Ground Confusion
“Stand your ground” laws protect individuals who are attacked in places they have a legal right to be. Yet in many states, these laws are either poorly defined or don’t exist at all, leaving people unsure about their rights in a life-or-death situation.
The idea that someone must attempt to flee – while being assaulted or threatened – is unrealistic. Police can’t be everywhere, and emergency response isn’t always fast enough. Self-defense laws should be clear, empowering people to protect themselves without legal ambiguity.
7. Suppressor Regulations Rooted in Fear
Suppressors – also known as silencers – are highly regulated under federal law. You’d think they were military-grade weapons with the way they’re treated, but in truth, suppressors are safety devices. They reduce noise and protect hearing. That’s it.
Yet in America, buying one requires ATF approval, a long wait, and a $200 tax stamp. Meanwhile, countries like the UK, Norway, and New Zealand treat them as over-the-counter accessories because they’re useful and safe. Suppressors don’t make guns silent—they just make them safer for everyone around.
The Law-Abiding Are Not the Problem
Each of these laws—whether it’s BB gun restrictions, suppressor bans, or range closures—has one thing in common: they target the people who follow the rules. They don’t impact the black-market gun trade. They don’t stop violent criminals from acting. Instead, they place more barriers in front of citizens who want to exercise a constitutional right safely and responsibly.
The sad truth is that too many lawmakers craft policies based on emotion or optics, not effectiveness. If the true goal is public safety, the focus should be on enforcement of existing laws, better mental health infrastructure, and community programs – not more red tape for responsible gun owners.
When Laws Backfire
Every time the government creates a barrier – be it a tax, regulation, or outright ban – it creates a chilling effect. Some people will choose not to own a firearm, not because they don’t want to, but because the process has been made too difficult or confusing. Others may find themselves accidentally breaking laws they didn’t even know existed. These aren’t outcomes that help reduce crime – they’re outcomes that suppress freedom.
The Slippery Slope Is Real
Many gun owners fear that small restrictions today will become bigger ones tomorrow. And history shows that fear is not without merit. After the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban, many assumed the fight was over. Yet here we are, decades later, facing the same proposals with even more bureaucratic layers.
It starts with a magazine limit and ends with a registry. It starts with microstamping and ends with backdoor confiscation. The pattern is predictable. That’s why resistance to these “dumb” laws isn’t about paranoia – it’s about precedent.
It’s Time for Common Sense—Not Control
The phrase “common sense gun laws” gets tossed around often, but rarely lives up to its name. True common sense means creating policy that focuses on actual threats – not penalizing responsible gun owners just because they’re easier to regulate. If we really want to make a difference, we need laws that target violent offenders, crack down on illegal trafficking, and support mental health systems – not laws that treat every gun owner like a ticking time bomb.
Whether you’re a hunter, a sport shooter, a collector, or someone who just wants to protect their home and family, these laws shouldn’t be in your way. Freedom means more than having rights on paper – it means being able to exercise them without fear of punishment for doing the right thing.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.