gun-making as a cottage industry

Americans have a reputation as ardent hobbyists and doit-yourseffers, building everything from ship models to home improvements. But one area in which they do not seem to havebeen very active is that of building firearms. This curious, though probably fortunate, fact may result from the perceived Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. One effect of this right is that well-designed and well-made firearms are generally available as items of commerce. In recent years, however, the private ownership of firearms has become subject to increasing legal and regulatory restriction as an anticrime measure.’ The possession of handguns, in particular, could foreseeably become illegal. A similar logic might then be applied to rifles and shotguns.