<P> In the United States, which has an English common law tradition, a longstanding right to keep and bear arms was recognized prior to the creation of a written national constitution . Today, the right is specifically protected by the US Constitution and many state constitutions, which grant a right to own arms for individual use and to bear these same arms both for personal protection and for use in a militia . The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution reads: </P> <P> A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed . </P> <P> Convicted felons, persons adjudicated as mentally ill, and some others are prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition in the US . In most states, residents may carry a handgun or other weapon in public in a concealed or open manner on one's person or in proximity, but that is restricted by some states and many cities . Some jurisdictions require a permit for concealed carry, but most jurisdictions do not require a permit for open carry, if it is allowed . Some states and localities require licenses to own or purchase guns and ammunition, as detailed in a summary of gun laws in the United States . Other states do not require such formalities and some allow the ownership and use of weapons taxed by the NFA . </P> <P> Early legal wording can be found in the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 . Following the American Revolution, one of the first legislative acts undertaken by each of the newly independent states was to adopt a reception statute that gave legal effect to the existing body of English common law to the extent that American legislation or the Constitution had not explicitly rejected it . Many English common - law traditions, such as the right to keep and bear arms, habeas corpus, jury trials, and various other civil liberties, were enumerated in the US Constitution . Significant principles of English common law prior to 1776 remain in effect in many jurisdictions in the United States . The common law of England is still the rule of decision, except if it conflicts with the US Constitution, state constitutions, or acts of Congress or state legislatures, in every state except Louisiana . </P>

What other countries have the right to bear arms