Gun control may increase citizen reliance on government for protection, prevent opposition to government, facilitate repressive action by government, lessen the pressure for major reform, and enable selective enforcement against those perceived by government as a threat. If government imposes gun control early, it may find it necessary to grant fewer concessions later when previously passive or nonviolent groups begin seeking arms. Gun control lessens the pressure for reform and can be selectively enforced. Examples of political functions of government gun control can be traced back to the 16th century and to both left-wing and right-wing governments in England, France, Germany, the Soviet Union, Asia, and South Africa. In the United States, the experience of blacks from slavery through the 1960's was one of the clearest and best-documented examples of the political functions of gun control. One analysis of the 1968 Gun Control Act suggests that Congress passed the Act because of its anticipated political functions. Research on how the availability or unavailability of firearms influences the course of political change is needed. A total of 147 footnotes is included.