 the same could happen in the US if gun owners don't get more proactive in law reforms that favor what they want in allowing them to own the guns they want and also denying guns to criminals and the mentally unstable.  Over here guns aren't registered, legal gun owners have a license, the license is a lot like a drivers license, in appearance and function.  The advantage of gun buyers needing to show a license is that it gets away from unreliable background checks. There's no need for the requirements to have a license to be any more stringent than the current laws restricting gun ownership.  