More Guns on the Way?

While I maintain some libertarian sensitivities I am more circumspect and less certain in regard to the issue of the absolute right for individuals to bear firearms. Indeed the mere ownership of firearms by individuals is by no means a primary cause for crime and illegal uses but I do not support the extraordinary claim that the second amendment of the US constitution confers an unqualified right to bear arms. To my mind, it reads as if the purpose was intended for the militia. Well, I am now officially wrong as the US Supreme Court decided that the right of individuals to bear hand guns should not be be unreasonably constrained.

Putting aside the politics of it all, I remain curious to see whether this decisive finding will affect the demand for firearms generally and hand guns in particular. And if the effect is that the ability of states to outlaw ownership of hand guns is substantially curtailed, then manufacturers may have other strategic responses to make firearms easier to own and packing more power. In spite of the already dispelled claims made by John Lott Jr. in this book, it would be interesting to test whether any rise in ownership would lead to any reduction in crime.