Obama called for gun control measures in the aftermath of several mass shootings , but was unable to pass a major bill . In 2009 , Obama discussed reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban , but did not make a strong push to pass it through Congress at that time . Following the December 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting , Obama outlined a series of sweeping gun control proposals , urging Congress to reintroduce an expired ban on " military-style " assault weapons , impose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds , introduce background checks on all gun sales , pass a ban on possession and sale of armor-piercing bullets , introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers , and approve the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives for the first time since 2006 . Senators Joe Manchin ( D-WV ) and Pat Toomey ( R-PA ) attempted to pass a more limited gun control measure that would have expanded background checks , but the bill was blocked in the Senate . Despite Obama 's advocacy and subsequent mass shootings such as the Charleston church shooting , no major gun control bill passed Congress during Obama 's presidency , in part due to the power of 2nd Amendment activists such as the National Rifle Association . Obama 's presidency ironically saw expansion of gun rights in the United States , as the Supreme Court ruled in '' McDonald v. City of Chicago '' that the Second Amendment applies to the states in addition to the federal government . Obama signed into law two bills containing amendments reducing restrictions on gun owners , one which permitted guns to be transported in checked baggage on Amtrak trains and another which allowed the carrying of loaded firearms in national parks located in states allowing concealed carry
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Presidency of Barack Obama