Long before these school, mall and movie theater massacres and long before proliferation of high capacity magazines President Reagan had a lot of thoughts on gun control. Reagan along with his press secretary Jim Brady was a victim of gun violence.
“This is a matter of vital importance to the public safety ... While we recognize that assault-weapon legislation will not stop all assault-weapon crime, statistics prove that we can dry up the supply of these guns, making them less accessible to criminals.”
Ronald Reagan, in a May 3, 1994 letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, which was also signed by Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford.
“I do not believe in taking away the right of the citizen for sporting, for hunting and so forth, or for home defense. But I do believe that an AK-47, a machine gun, is not a sporting weapon or needed for defense of a home.”
Ronald Reagan, in a speech at his 78th birthday celebration in Los Angeles on February 6, 1989.
“Certain forms of ammunition have no legitimate sporting, recreational, or self-defense use and thus should be prohibited.”
Ronald Reagan, in an August 28, 1986 signing statement on a bill that banned the production and importation of armor-piercing bullets.
“With the right to bear arms comes a great responsibility to use caution and common sense on handgun purchases.”
Ronald Reagan, speech at George Washington University in a on March 29, 1991.
“Every year, an average of 9,200 Americans are murdered by handguns, according to Department of Justice statistics. This does not include suicides or the tens of thousands of robberies, rapes and assaults committed with handguns. This level of violence must be stopped.”
Ronald Reagan, in a March 29, 1991 New York Times op-ed in support of the Brady Bill.
“I think maybe there could be some restrictions that there had to be a certain amount of training taken.”
Ronald Reagan, in a press conference
in Toronto on June 21, 1988, suggesting that prospective gun owners
should have to receive training before purchasing a firearm.
“Well, I think there has to be some [gun] control.”
Ronald Reagan, during a question-and-answer session with high-school students on November 14, 1988.
