But the federal government cannot require anyone to actually use such locks. Gun locks are easy to defeat, and killers like Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold would have known how to do so. Further, Harris and Klebold did most of their killing with shotguns, which are not covered by the bill. This is certainly a real cost of gun ownership. Yet with 70 to 80 million people owning an estimated 240 million guns, gun owners have a remarkable safety record.
Gun locks diminish the defensive value of guns.
Guns are used about five times more often to stop crimes than to commit crimes. Contrary to charges, they are not a loophole for illegal gun sales. Since most vendors at gun shows are federally licensed dealers, federal, state, and local laws, including the national instant background check, already apply. As for private sales at shows, the background check was never intended to apply to private individuals who sell a gun, whether such swaps occur at a gun show or elsewhere. No, because gun shows are not a serious source for supplying criminals with guns.