Each year, more than 8000 people are convicted for unlawful possession of a firearm under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g). For felons with a criminal record, it is harder but not impossible to legally own a gun.Bruen, in which the Court announced a new historical tradition standard to assess laws and regulations challenged under the Second Amendment. The specific guidelines for purchasing a pistol permit are outlined in Article 400 of New York Penal Law. In the late 1930s, Congress made it unlawful for individuals convicted of certain violent felonies to possess a firearm. This was the first time Congress. In the late 1930s, Congress made it unlawful for individuals convicted of certain violent felonies to possess a firearm. This was the first time Congress. A Ninth Circuit panel Thursday ruled that a blanket prohibition on convicted felons possessing firearms violates their Second Amendment rights. The restoration of these rights often depends on a complicated interplay between state and federal law.