A mass shooting in Las Vegas has become the deadliest in US history, and some say the state’s gun laws are to blame, with New York's Police Commissioner Brill Bratton calling them "a reflection of insanity".

A lone gunman recently opened fire on a concert in a Las Vegas casino, killing 50 and injuring more than 400. Police say the gunman, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock, had at least 10 weapons inside his room at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Witnesses say the gun used in the shooting sounded like an automatic, possibly military-grade, assault rifle.

Nevada capitalises heavily on machine gun tourism, and was ranked the 22nd-best state for gun owners by Guns & Ammo magazine. Below is an overview of the state’s gun control laws.

Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People scramble for shelter at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after gun fire was heard Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People carry a person at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after shots were fired David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People run from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after gun fire was heard David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A handout photo released via Twitter by Eiki Hrafnsson (@EirikurH) showing concertgoers running away from the scene (C) after shots range out at the Route 91 Harvest festival on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA/Eiki Hrafnsson Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People lie on the ground at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after hearing gun fire Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A man in a wheelchair is taken away from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival after hearing gun fire David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures People stand on the street outside the Mandalay Bay hotel near the scene of the Route 91 Harvest festival on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA/Paul Buck Las Vegas shooting – in pictures FBI agents confer in front of the Tropicana hotel-casino after a mass shooting during a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas police run by a banner on the fence at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival grounds after shots were fired David Becker/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures An injured person is tended to in the intersection of Tropicana Ave. and Las Vegas Boulevard after a mass shooting at a country music festival Ethan Miller/Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Metro Police officers pass by the front of the Tropicana hotel-casino after a mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A woman sits on a curb at the scene of a shooting outside of a music festival along the Las Vegas Strip AP/John Locher Las Vegas shooting – in pictures A cowboy hat lays in the street after shots were fired near a country music festival in Las Vegas Getty Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Las Vegas Metro Police and medical workers stage in the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard South after a mass shooting at a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus Las Vegas shooting – in pictures Sheriff Joe Lombardo (2-R) speaking during a press briefing in the aftermath of the active shooter incident on Las Vegas Boulevard EPA

Who can buy guns in Nevada?

Nevada law does not require gun owners to have a permit to purchase or carry rifles and shotguns, according to the National Rifle Association. Carrying a handgun, however, does require a permit.

The state of Nevada does not require weapons to be licenced, although Clark County, in which Las Vegas is located, does.

The state requires background checks through a licenced dealer for all gun sales, including those completed privately and online. Convicted felons, drug users, people deemed mentally ill, and those convicted of domestic abuse are prohibited from buying guns.

Where can you buy guns in Nevada?

Nevada residents can buy guns from a dealer, a private citizen, or website. There is no mandated waiting period for sales.

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Where can you carry guns in Nevada?

Nevada is an open-carry state, meaning residents are allowed to carry firearms openly in public. It is legal to carry a gun into a bar, restaurant, or casino – even while consuming alcohol. Many casinos have “no gun” policies, but these do not carry the weight of law.

It is illegal to openly carry weapons into a government building, airport, school, or childcare facility.

Is there a limit on what kind of guns you can buy?

Fully automatic weapons are illegal across the US, unless they were purchased and registered prior to 1986. Semi-automatic weapons, however, are legal in Nevada. Automatic weapons fire until the ammunition is used up; semi-automatic weapons require the trigger to be pulled for each shot.

There is no limit on magazine capacity, or the number of bullets a gun can hold, in Nevada.

Police and medical workers on Las Vegas Boulevard South after the shooting (REUTERS)

Is there a limit on how many guns you can buy?

No.

Why are Nevada's gun laws so permissive?

Semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines were banned across the US in 1994. But that law expired in 2004, and attempts to renew it have failed. Congress introduced more than 100 gun control proposals between 2011 and 2016, according to CBS News. All of them failed.