The anti-gun left likes to point to Europe as a successful example of gun-free living. However, new numbers published by the Daily Mail show that the number of illegal guns in Germany greatly outweighs the number of legal guns. What does this mean? It means what Second Amendment supporters have been saying all along: gun control disarms law abiding citizens and empowers the criminal class.

According to data from the German Firearms Register, there are almost 5.5 million guns in private ownership belonging to 1.4 million people. But research by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in January estimated there are up to 20 million illegal firearms in Germany.

Just last month, a shooter in Munich, Germany used an unlicensed Glock 9mm to kill nine helpless, defenseless people.

Germany has very strict laws on firearm ownership. In order to own a firearm, one must be at least 18 years old and show a reason for owning the firearm. Applicants for a license under the age of 25 must undergo a psychiatric test. Fully automatic weapons are banned as are semi-automatic weapons unless they are used for hunting. Also on the banned list: pump-action shotguns with pistol grips, sawed-off shotguns, guns with night-vision equipment, and guns with lights attached.

Germany began its crackdown on guns back in 1928, when Hitler disarmed the German citizenry to prevent them from rebelling against Nazism.

This is the real reason for the Second Amendment. It’s not about duck hunting or sport shooting, it’s about the citizens’ right to defend themselves against a tyrannical government.

Meanwhile, here in the USA concealed-carry permits are at an all-time high.