Universal Background Checks for Firearm Purchases: Overview.

GUN laws; NATIONAL Instant Criminal Background Check System (U.S.); GUN control in the United States; UNITED States. Constitution. 2nd Amendment; NATIONAL Firearms Act, 1934 (U.S.); LEGAL status of firearms owners

An overview of the issue of universal background checks for U.S. firearm purchases is presented. Terms defined include semiautomatic firearm, handgun, and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Other topics include the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, state firearms regulations, and U.S. federal laws such as the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA), the 1968 Gun Control Act (GCA), and the 1986 Firearms Owners Protection Act (FOPA).