James Madison and his thoughts [View all]

Madison was very involved with the writing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights including the Second Amendment.

We have 2 well documented historic facts:
1: The 1790 census listed the number of free white males (as offensive as that may be right now, those were the qualifications for the militia) as 807,094.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/us-census-1790/

2: Federalist #46, written by Madison concerning the militia versus a federal standing army states: "The highest number to which, according to the best computation, a standing army can be carried in any country, does not exceed one hundredth part of the whole number of souls; or one twenty-fifth part of the number able to bear arms. This proportion would not yield, in the United States, an army of more than twenty-five or thirty thousand men. To these would be opposed a militia amounting to near half a million of citizens with arms in their hands, officered by men chosen from among themselves, fighting for their common liberties, and united and conducted by governments possessing their affections and confidence...Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any which a simple government of any form can admit of."
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed46.asp

The rational logical conclusion here is that the folks who wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights intended to have the folks who were allowed to vote also be armed with the regular arms with which an infantryman would be equipped.

For about a hundred years semi-auto firearms have become more common and are now most popular and the standard for both rifles and handguns. Full-auto firearms became available at hardware and sporting goods stores around 90 years ago. Full-autos like the Thompson SMG and all full-auto weapons now have heavy federal and state restrictions and expanded expensive requirements for ownership. Firearm laws in the US have been evolving ever since the states had their own governments in 1776. Laws of various types have been passed and found acceptable. Even the Heller Supreme Court decision acknowledges that the states may restrict guns with reasonable laws. Many states have historically had restrictions on concealed carry. Some states have restrictions on open carry. Some states have their own assault weapon restrictions.

If you are thinking that the right to keep and bear arms is not an individual right and the interpretation that says that it is an individual right is an invention of late twentieth century lobbyists, think again.