longbough

You mention the effects on "gun violence," but isn't our concern specifically about the effect on homicide rates? Most gun-control advocates would argue that stronger gun-control legislation creates a reduction in homicide as well ... After all, in Japan and Great Britain, gun ownership is very restricted, and handgun ownership is prohibited. In the United States, guns are kept in about half of all homes. In 1996, handguns were used to murder 15 people in Japan, 30 in Great Britain, and 9,390 in the United States.

But the world isn't that simple. The effect of gun legislation on a country must be weighed against a cultural context. The homicide rate in Japan is similar to the homicide rate for Japanese-Americans, which suggests that the Japanese culture must be considered as well.

The restriction of legally purchased firearms doesn't necessarily translate into lesser homicide rates. It's easy to think it does if you restrict your comparison to GB and Japan. You should note that Switzerland has similar crime rates to Japan and Great Britain. In Switzerland, the purchase of semi automatic rifles and shotguns requires no permit, and adults are free to carry them. Handguns can be bought with firearm purchase permits, which are issued to all adults without a criminal record or a history of mental illness. About 40% of Switzerland's cantons (states) do not require a permit to carry a handgun.

Also consider that the number of firearm homicides in Great Britain has doubled since they imposed their current restrictive gun laws.

Also consider that Italy has the most restrictive gun laws in Europe and the firearm homicide rate remains twice that of Switzerland's.
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"Gun running in the US would be extremely difficult"? I disagree. How did you come to this conclusion? Did prohibition work for alcohol? Is the current "war on drugs" working for heroin, cocaine, amphetimines or weed? Are immigration laws and Border Patrol enough to keep illegal immigrants out of the US? Since when has it been "extremely difficult" to smuggle anything into the US? The US is notoriously "wide open."
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If it was a test - what would your conclusion be if violent crime were to rise instead of fall? Would you be in favor of repealing that law?

In the eyes of people who follow the history of gun control this test has been done before. Washington D.C. enacted a virtual ban on handguns in 1976. Between 1976 and 1991, Washington D.C.'s homicide rate rose 200%, while the national rate rose 12%. (you check the public record on www.fbi.gov).