Shooting Straight: How Presidential Candidates Have Changed On Gun Control

By Brian Miller

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2026

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Brian Miller

Growing up in a family of gun owners, with a dad who was a Vietnam vet and later a constitutional attorney and a mom who believed every American should own their own business, the family dinner conversations generally centered around the state of affairs in America – what was happening in Washington that should (or shouldn’t) be, and what patriotic people could do about it.

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Brian Miller, "Infographic: Romney vs Obama on Gun Control"
(https://ammo.com/articles/election-gun-control-infographic)

In the run up to the 2012 election, both President Obama and Governor Romney downplayed the topic of gun control – even though Americans were on pace to buy more firearms than ever before. Because neither candidate was an avid shooter, special interest groups such as the NRA and the Brady Campaign dominated much of the campaign rhetoric.

With this presidency came huge responsibility to the Second Amendment, as the previous four years had seen two high-profile 2A cases narrowly decided by split 5-4 decisions. President Obama’s victory ended up resulting in two appointments to the Supreme Court – Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan – neither of whom have done any favors for gun rights.

It's important to look at how each candidate's position on gun control has evolved over time since entering the political arena. This infographic is a great example of how this has happened in a recent election – and you'll see that both candidates started out more in favor of gun control than either campaign would like you to remember. It’s a stark reminder of why it’s important to research a candidate’s political past.

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Brian Miller