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You make points on the difficulties of gun control legislation that, unless there are changes in our culture or consensus opinion, paint a dark picture for the future, especially considering our homicide rate per capita. Worth noting is that 98% of homicides are committed with handguns. A recent analysis of mass murderers show that 22% might be categorized as having some kind of mental disorder with the same criteria in the general population is 1%. So focusing strictly on mental disorders does nto address the problem and more of a canard by those who wish to preserve the status quo.
Registration, documentation of sales, background checks and restrictions on some types of weapons and/or ammunitions fall within the interstate commerce powers of the federal government. States can and do pass legislation that can restrict some commerce within the state and other regulations to protect their citizens from what they perceive as a public health problem.
Mental criteria based on admission type is easily established - involuntary admission by a probate court, voluntary admissions to psych hospitals, and, in some places, a physician's certification emergency certification that allows hospitalization for a period of time (15 days in one state) based on the criteria that people are deemed disabled or a danger to themselves or others.
There is no requirement that mental illness hospitalizations or those hospitalized as dangers to themselves or others be reported to the National Criminal Instant Background Check System (NICS) by states. Unfortunately for mandatory universal background checks, the interim provisions of the Brady were challenged and upheld by SCOTUS in
Printz v. U.S. which gun rights advocate groups funded. Each state can choose to establish such a database and report these to NICS. Over 5,000 voluntary psych admissions have been entered into Connecticut's database and reported to NICS, New York entered over 34,000, Florida entered over 140,00, Wyoming has entered four.
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