Short answer: It depends on your goals. If the goal is to reduce shootings and suicides while respecting responsible ownership, there’s solid evidence for tightening some targeted rules; if the goal is to maximize individual liberty with minimal state involvement, then only narrow fixes may be warranted.
What tends to work (evidence-backed, relatively popular, and usually constitutional under Heller/McDonald and post-Bruen when well tailored):
•Universal background checks with prompt reporting of disqualifying records.
•Permit-to-purchase/licensing that includes fingerprinting and safety training, with low fees and fast, objective processing.
•Waiting periods (e.g., 3–7 days), which especially reduce impulsive suicides.
•Extreme Risk Protection Orders (“red flag” laws) with robust due process and time limits.
•Domestic-violence firearm prohibitions plus actual relinquishment and enforcement.
•Child access prevention/safe-storage requirements; tax credits or subsidized lockboxes help compliance.
•Trafficking controls: serialize frames/receivers, require reporting lost/stolen guns, focus enforcement on rogue dealers and straw purchases.
Measures with narrower or more contested benefits:
•“Assault weapon” and large-capacity magazine bans: mixed evidence for overall crime, some support for reducing mass-shooting lethality; definitions and legal durability matter.
•Mandatory insurance: conceptually appealing to some, but limited evidence and equity concerns.
Trade-offs and pitfalls to plan around:
•Constitutional constraints: regulations must fit historical tradition (Bruen). Objective, history-grounded, and process-based rules fare better than broad discretionary bans.
•Equity: fees, time, and enforcement can burden low-income and minority communities; design for low cost, clear standards, and audit for disparate impacts.
•Compliance/black markets: pair new rules with focused enforcement on illegal supply, not blanket low-level possession arrests.
•Implementation: invest in data quality (NICS), court capacity for ERPOs, and safe-storage education.
A pragmatic package if you want “more regulation” without sweeping bans:
•Universal background checks + permit-to-purchase with training (fast, objective).
•5-day waiting period.
•ERPOs with clear evidence standards, counsel, and quick hearings.
•DV prohibitions with mandatory, verified relinquishment.
•Safe-storage requirement, plus rebates for safes/locks.
•Lost/stolen reporting and ghost-gun serialization.
•Parallel investment in community violence intervention and suicide prevention.
If you share your priorities (e.g., suicide prevention vs. mass shootings vs. minimizing government burden), I can tailor a tighter recommendation.