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A few things that inform the basis of this answer- 1) the leading cause of gun deaths is suicide, by nearly a 2:1 ratio over the next most common cause (homicide, which is broken up primarily into gang/drug crime at 65–80% of homicides and domestic violence, making up 15–20%. Mass shootings are around 2–3%, roughly on par with accidents at 3%), 2) 99.9+% of guns are never used to commit a crime, 3) no amount of gun control will change the human heart.If I were asked to wipe all of the guns laws off the books and start from the 2nd Amendment, what would I make the gun laws look like?Militias (including, but not limited to, the National Guard)The Constitution describes a land force in the militia and a navy. The Founders specifically didn’t want a standing army, volunteer or otherwise. And they really hadn’t considered a ground-based air force (sea-based air units would report up through the navy). This model was to protect the people against tyranny- the navy isn’t inside our borders and the militia is made up of the people. Still, our military has a model of valuing each life that goes all the way down to each infantryman being given a weapon that emphasizes marksmanship over volume of fire. That model would be more difficult to sustain if everyone served in the militia, since there would be much more emphasis on conscripted troops rather than highly trained volunteers.Why do I bring this up? Because one of the major arguments regarding guns is how they serve as a check against tyranny. If we made the militia model more prevalent and reduced the size and scope of the standing army and require every young person* to be trained in the militia starting at 18 and then grant different service options that let some out after a year or two and allow others to form elite units (such as an air corps, which requires years of training), then there is very little concern about tyrannical government. The major weapons systems would be controlled by the individual militias and report to the governors. The President couldn’t use the military to oppress the people (or start a foreign war) without the consent of the governors, from whom the President would borrow the militia units.Civilian ownershipMembers of the formal militia will have received training in basic weapons systems, including select fire weapons (have setting for semi-automatic and either full-auto suppressing fire or burst fire). They would also be trained to handle semi-automatic sidearms. So long as annual qualifications were performed, it would seem to meet the requirements of a well-regulated (meaning trained) militia to allow these civilians to have weapons with the same functions as what they train on in the formal militia, which would effectively widen the present NFA policies for select fire weapons to include anyone that kept up their certifications through periodic training and applied qualifications.People that were not part of the formal militia should be granted the same opportunity provided they demonstrate that they are similarly trained and maintain that training so that they can participate as members of the informal militia. The NRA already offers a number of safety training programs and most states have concealed carry licenses already available, most of which are privately administered, to my knowledge. The states would be encouraged to assemble a standard that all could abide by so that once licensed, people could transfer their membership between militias without undue hassle or expense, as presently exists for licenses to drive.An additional certification would be encouraged for people that have not reached the necessary age to join the militia or those that wish to only own small caliber weapons (which would likely appeal to many older citizens as well as those of smaller builds or weaker stature) to train on and own small caliber rifles and certain handguns, again subject to certification including qualifying. Shotguns would also need an avenue for ownership and would probably be part of the limited certification program.Background checks**Applicants to the formal militia would have their background and mental health already being monitored are a regular part of training. As such, their certification would qualify them to purchase firearms so long as it is current. Rather than having a separate background check system on a transactional basis, I think it is a much better model to integrate it into the certification and then have sellers ask to see the certification prior to sale. Private sellers could call a hotline, give the certificate number and verify the certificate was legitimate in just a few minutes. There could even be an app for that. This system would also be less likely to fall victim to someone going years without being observed in any way and still continuing to have a firearm.Ammunition and Magazine CapacityI’m not aware of an effective method the mitigates violence through limiting ammunition sales or magazine capacity while still providing adequately for regular civilian requirements. For those that are not aware, qualifying in Texas requires 50 rounds (Texas Concealed Handgun License). So someone going out just to do a single practice test and then qualify is going to require a greater number of rounds than is needed to accomplish most mass shootings. Further, even in states or cities with magazine restrictions, examples already have come to light in which shooters simply procure more 10 round magazines and then practice reloading (these drills are common in the military and among competitive shooters anyway). So I don’t see a clear restriction that would actually make sense and be consistent with shooters maintaining their privacy.Safe storage and InsuranceThe certification process would include instruction on safe firearms storage. Setting the legal expectation that gun owners would be responsible for damages caused by improperly stored firearms should provide incentive for gun owners to keep guns properly stored, which really is dependent on their individual situation. So long as shooters could demonstrate that they regularly exercise due care, they should be able to get insurance for any damage done by unauthorized use of their firearms or to cover accidental discharge or mistaken identity.Dealer or Private salesWith certifications in place and transactional background checks no longer being necessary, the differences between dealer and private sales should largely disappear.Gun registrationMilitias would check out the firearms and weapons systems they allow members to use. Beyond that, no registration should be necessary.Firearms educationMilitias will be encouraged to work with high schools to provide training to enrolled students that wish the learn small caliber rifle, shotgun, and handgun marksmanship, not unlike present JROTC programs. Parents will also be allowed to request that children meeting certain requirements can do so at an earlier age. The certification may be modular, to allow for those that wish to certify for center fire revolvers or small caliber rifles or other specific categories to do so without having the qualify will all types.Conclusion & other stuff that doesn’t fit well into the context of the questionI think that these regulations would encourage responsible gun ownership and help neighbors feel comfortable knowing others in their midst are properly trained and educated on proper storage of their firearms. It would also avoid much of the undue hassle presently directed at current firearms owners.These proposed policies and regulations would not remove the malice from people’s hearts. So I would want to look for ways of helping people learn conflict resolution, much like what is presently involved in the Concealed Carry certifications, to emphasize that carrying a gun requires that the person try every avenue of solving a problem prior to reaching for the firearm. Some social norms would need to be established, such as not really tolerating jokes or statements about shooting other people, much like most people would not tolerate racist humor. I also think that changing the incentives in the illegal drug industry is necessary to diminish gun violence, especially in inner city areas. And I would love to see greater resources put forth by our society to help with mental health and self worth to decrease the suicide rate. Even a reduction of 10% in the suicide rate could do more good than an 80% reduction (which would be wildly successful by my estimation) all of the mass shooting and accidental / justified shooting gun deaths.*My understanding is that the selective service (military draft) is, at this writing, being considered to be extended to females, perhaps even already having passed the Senate as part of another bill. I don’t want to derail this conversation with that debate, but it is a debate that should be had and people should know it is being debated and bills to accomplish that purpose voted upon.**Those that want to roll background checks out to private parties would need to provide a mechanism for privacy. The same information used to locate the person in the database could be used to open up a bank account and the information contained on the background check could provide the checker with very personal information on the potential buyer, assuming the system isn't abused by those that might access the system just to get the background check without any intention of selling a firearm.Thanks for the A2A, Joe.