Which Amendment to the US Constitution grants people the right to keep and bear Arms?

The right for people to possess firearms is protected by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ratified in 1791 as part of the Bill of Rights, its full text reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This single sentence has become one of the most analyzed and debated phrases in American law.

The amendment's inclusion was heavily influenced by the new nation's recent experience with Great Britain. The founders were wary of a powerful central government and a standing army that could be used to oppress the people, as they felt the British had done. They viewed citizen militias—ordinary people who could be called upon to defend their communities—as a crucial safeguard for liberty. The right to bear arms was seen as essential for these militias to be effective and for citizens to be able to resist potential government overreach.

For centuries, the precise meaning of the amendment's language has been a subject of intense discussion. The debate often centers on whether the right is an individual one for any purpose or a collective right connected to service in a militia. In 2008, the Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller significantly clarified the issue, ruling that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm for lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home, independent of militia service.