Which amendment protects the right to bear arms?

• A. The First Amendment
• B. The Fourth Amendment
• C. The Second Amendment
• D. The Fifth Amendment

Answer: (C)

The right to keep and bear arms is protected by the Second Amendment. Ratified as part of the Bill of Rights in 1791, it ties an individual’s firearm ownership to the security of a free state, originally in the context of a citizen militia. It protects a person’s right to possess firearms for self-defense, hunting, and other lawful purposes, but it is not unlimited; reasonable regulation is allowed. For context, the other amendments protect different rights: the First Amendment covers speech and religion, the Fourth guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, and the Fifth concerns due process and protection against self-incrimination. In essence, this amendment specifically secures the right to keep and bear arms, with permissible regulatory limits.