According to a 2016 analysis by political nonprofit Vote Smart, Lance generally opposes gun control legislation. In 2013, Lance was criticized by the father of a Virginia Tech victim who wanted Lance to be more supportive of gun control measures. In 2016, Lance disagreed with members of Congress who staged a sit-in to force a vote on gun control. In March 2017, Lance was one of two House Republicans who broke with their party to oppose the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, which "would require a judge to rule that veterans posed a danger to themselves or others before they could be denied the right to buy guns." The NRA had spoken out in support of the legislation.