Short answer: it depends on your goals and what “heavily” means. In the U.S., most people who study the issue converge on a middle path: tighten a few evidence-backed rules that reduce deaths while preserving lawful ownership.
Key arguments for more regulation
•Public safety: Targeted policies can lower homicides, suicides, and domestic-violence fatalities (e.g., closing private‑sale loopholes, waiting periods, safe‑storage, and risk‑based removal orders).
•Prevention focus: Background checks, permits, and disqualifiers aim to stop dangerous acquisitions rather than punish after harm occurs.
•Traceability and accountability: Better reporting and enforcement reduce straw purchasing and trafficking.
Key arguments against
•Rights and self‑defense: Additional hurdles may burden responsible owners and implicate constitutional protections.
•Enforcement and equity: More rules can be unevenly enforced, criminalizing technical violations and disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.
•Effectiveness doubts: With many guns already in circulation, some limits may have modest effects or spur illicit markets if poorly designed.
A pragmatic policy bundle (stronger but not maximal)
•Universal background checks for all sales/transfers, with fast, modernized systems and an appeal path for errors.
•Permit‑to‑purchase or licensing tied to fingerprinting and safety training, renewed periodically.
•Waiting periods (e.g., a few days) to reduce impulsive violence and suicide.
•Extreme Risk Protection Orders (red‑flag) with clear due‑process safeguards, counsel access, and prompt, scheduled hearings.
•Domestic‑violence and violent‑misdemeanor prohibitions with mandatory, verified relinquishment and restoration pathways.
•Child‑access prevention and safe‑storage requirements plus subsidized lock/safe programs.
•Lost/stolen reporting and stronger penalties for straw purchasing and trafficking.
•Data and evaluation: fund rigorous, transparent studies; include sunset/review clauses.
If you want “heavier” still: owner registration, mandatory insurance, magazine‑capacity limits, or bans on specific weapon features—acknowledging these raise sharper legal and political challenges and should include carve‑outs, grandfathering, and robust judicial review.
If you prefer “lighter”: keep current ownership rules but improve enforcement of existing laws, expand voluntary storage programs, and scale up violence‑interruption and mental‑health services.
I can tailor recommendations by state or priority (e.g., suicide prevention vs. crime reduction). Which country/state and outcomes matter most to you?