DC v. Heller
The issue of gun rights has shot to the forefront of American politics recently, thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision in the case of DC v. Heller, which struck down Washington DC's handgun ban and established the individual's right to own and bear arms under the second amendment.
After the Heller ruling was announced, McCain called it a "landmark decision" that was a "victory for Second Amendment freedom in the United States." As a lawmaker who cosponsored legislation to repeal the DC handgun ban law, he went on to say:
For this first time in the history of our Republic, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms was and is an individual right as intended by our Founding Fathers. I applaud this decision as well as the overturning of the District of Columbia's ban on handguns and limitations on the ability to use firearms for self-defense.
At the beginning of the campaign -- in early 2007 -- the Gun Owners of America accused McCain of switching from gun rights to gun-control, and his rating from the National Rifle Assocation is only a C+. Nevertheless, McCain has worked hard to establish himself as a champion of the second amendment in the last year.
Protecting Gun Manufacturers
He has consistently opposed back door attempts to restrict second amendment rights by holding gun manufacturers liable for crimes committed by third parties using a firearm, and has voted to protect gun manufacturers from such inappropriate liability aimed at bankrupting the entire gun industry.
Restrictions on Assault Weapons and Ammunition
McCain has repeatedly voiced his opposition to restrictions on so-called "assault rifles" and voted consistently against such bans. Most recently he opposed an amendment to extend a ban on 19 specific firearms, and others with similar characteristics. He has also voted against banning imported ammunition magazines. Banning ammunition is just another way to undermine Second Amendment rights, according to McCain, which is why he voted against an amendment that would have banned many of the most commonly used hunting cartridges on the spurious grounds that they were "armor-piercing."
Gun Locks
The best way to ensure Americans are safely and responsibly using firearms for target practice, hunting or personal safety is to ensure they know how to safely use and store them. To do this, McCain has voted for legislation requiring gun manufacturers to include gun safety devices such as trigger locks in product packaging.
Background Checks
At a time when some were trying to shut down gun shows in the name of fighting crime, John McCain tried to preserve gun shows by standardizing sales procedures. Federal law requires licensed firearm sellers at gun shows to do an instant criminal background check on purchasers while private firearm sellers at gun shows do not have to conduct such a check. John McCain introduced legislation that would require an instant criminal background check for all sales at gun shows and believes that such checks must be conducted quickly to ensure that unnecessary delays do not effectively block transactions. John McCain supports instant criminal background checks to help prohibit criminals from buying firearms and has voted to ensure they are conducted thoroughly, efficiently, and without infringing on the rights of law abiding citizens. John McCain has opposed "waiting periods" for law abiding citizen's purchase of firearms.
Criminals who Use Firearms for Crime
John McCain believes in strict, mandatory penalties for criminals who use a firearm in the commission of a crime or illegally possess a firearm. Enforcing the current laws on the books is the best way to deter crime.