Lawton_Oklahoma's gun laws are the weakest in the nation according to the James Brady Campaign that led the way to sweeping gun law reform in the 1990s.  It says Oklahoma's weak gun laws are helping to feed the illegal gun market.  Out of 100 possible points, the group gave the state a mere two points.  The foundation focused on areas such as the state's background check system, child-safety regulations, and efforts to curb firearm trafficking - Oklahoma was given a zero in each of those areas.

The Brady Campaign always has pushed for tough gun regulations, but former Chief of Police and current Cameron University Criminal Justice Professor Danny Ford says he believes that tougher laws would likely have very little effect on crime.  From the streets as police officer to the classroom as a professor, Danny Ford has studied gun crimes and firearm regulations for years.  "You usually affect the law abiding citizen (with stricter regulations), and you don't affect the person who's going to have the gun anyway for purposes it was never intended for," he said.  "The criminals will have the weapons no matter what kind of law - a lot of times - you make."

The Brady Campaign wants Oklahoma - and other states - to do more, such as requiring permits to purchase guns, and making every gun sold in the state childproof.  Ford says the survey focused on some items previously under the ban on assault weapons that expired under President Bush.  "It only takes one bullet to take a person out, so just because you limit the number of rounds doesn't mean the person is not going to use that weapon," he said.

He does say he would like to see Oklahoma and the survey improve upon gun education, which Ford says he believes would save more lives than laws would.  "Informing people how to keep the weapons safe, how go ahead and possess the weapon and still keep it safe, and at the same time not limit their rights to keep and bear that arm," he said.

California fared best in the survey, and got 79 out of a possible 100 points.  Ford says California's grade underscores his point since gun crimes certainly are a problem in California.  Oklahoma got its only two points in the guns in public category which includes colleges allowing guns on campus.  Last year, state lawmakers shot down a bill that would have allowed possession of a firearm on campus.

Texas scored nine points.  You can see the full report at http://www.stategunlaws.org/.