How did gun laws in the American colonies differ from English gun laws?

While both the American colonies and England implemented various gun-control measures to address concerns regarding safety, crime, and communal defense, they diverged in two primary ways.12

First, unlike England, where gun ownership and possession were often restricted based on socioeconomic status, the American colonies did not impose such class-based limitations on the general population. Second, while England relied on a select militia, the American colonies adopted a system of universal service. Under this model, men of all classes were required to maintain their own firearms and equipment for the defense of the state, reflecting a philosophy of an armed citizenry where every citizen served as a soldier.2

Despite these differences, the colonies shared England's history of regulating firearms. Colonial laws frequently restricted gun possession for specific groups—such as enslaved people, Native Americans, and indentured servants—and imposed various rules regarding the storage, discharge, and sale of weapons to maintain public order.12