I live outside the US, in Chile.
Here, in order to buy a gun you are required to:
1.- psychiatrist examination, saying you are fit to own a gun.
2.- A clean criminal record
3.- a certificate to register your home address
Once you have all this, you go to buy a gun, and with the papers from the store you have to go to the military to get a permit. After that you can go and take your gun home.
Also, if you want to take your gun to the range, you have to go to the military and ask for a permit, which is valid for 1 day and only to carry between your home and the range.
I also learned today that if you own a shotgun, it is illegal to fire it inside city limits...
Meanwhile, criminals do whatever they want.