The mid to late 20th century was the peak era of gun control in America. The violence and unrest of the 1960s kicked it all off with the the Gun Control Cct of 1968, the Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986, the Brady Law of 1993 and finally the Clinton “assault weapons” ban of 1994.

Few states allowed concealed carry in any form, while a number of western states only allowed open carry. Even Texas, despite its gun-friendly reputation, was very restrictive from the time of Reconstruction until the 1990s. Even in states that allowed open carry, it was common to face police harassment and social shunning for daring to carry.

As you can see, things began to slowly change quickly starting in the late 1980s. A wave of “shall issue” carry laws took hold in places where carry was either banned or permits were only issued to the wealthy and/or well-connected. After most states had a process where normal people could get a permit to carry a gun, the next wave of constitutional (permitless) carry began to sweep the United States. That process is ongoing today with 27 states having some form of permitless carry more still possible (Louisiana, South Carolina).