One thought to keep in mind when trying to make sense of these policies and the proponents/opponents of them - behavioral psychologists and anthropologists often point out a simple truth - In the human mind, alienation from the group/tribe is worse than death. Once you understand that, one realizes that very little about modern politics/policy is about rational discussion of facts, science and meaningful solutions. Political support and donations are driven by fear and a need to signal allegiance - the parties understand this and have weaponized it.
For example, if human life was the real concern the target would be on simple handgun ownership, mental health funding and anti-gang enforcement, not scary black guns that play almost no role in the death toll. But focus groups show that scary black guns drive more $$$ and votes in the suburbs. Similarly, a fabricated gun culture (“out of my cold dead hands folks with a quasi-mystical co-opted history of America”) does the same for rural young males and grumpy old men.