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overall. Connecticut has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation, banning sales of new assault weapons and prohibiting transfers of grandfathered weapons (i.e., weapons currently outlawed, which were at one point legal to purchase and own). Massachusetts requires any gun owner to obtain a permit from the police (with about 3 percent of permit applications denied per year) and to keep their weapon(s) registered in a state database, even if someone is making a private sale, such as a sale between family members; in addition, no person younger than age 21 may purchase a handgun. The New England region features both strict and lax laws: three states ban assault rifles, while New Hampshire only requires gun buyers to possess identification and pass a criminal background check, requiring a waiting period for only a handful of types of guns. Some northeastern states that promote strict gun control have success stories to justify their laws. Massachusetts had just

New England Gunsmithing

The geographical region of New England, encompassing Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, held many of the first colonies established in American history. During the colonial era, gunsmithing required the collaborative work of several people: a founder to melt and shape metal, a blacksmith to hammer heavy steel parts, a whitesmith to manufacture delicate parts or file and polish the metal, and a woodworker to cut a stock and grip. Apprentices learned these skills between the ages of twelve and twenty.

Gun Culture Facts and Figures

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