Changes
These laws have further been amended by other laws such as the Firearms Owners Protection Act (1986) and the Omnibus Crime Bill (1994).
Besides the wisdom of natural rights, studies by John Lott and others have proven that gun control isn't practical and doesn't help public safety [http://www.johnrlott.com/]. [[Washington, D.C.]] has one of the highest crime rates in America even though it completely bans private handguns [http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/dccrime.htm]. Simply put, crime statistics show that guns don't kill people, people kill people. After decades of increasing infringement on Second Amendment rights, the current trend is finally in the direction of more gun rights. The 1994 Omnibus Crime Bill included a ban on certain rifles labeled "assault" rifles solely because of features of their appearance. This law recenly expired and was not renewed by Congress. Also, a municipal ban on private handgun ownership in [[Washington, D.C.]] 's gun ban was struck down as unconstitutional by the U.S. Court of Appeals on March 9, 2007.
