Flickr/Mike Saecheng

California has some of the toughest gun laws in the United States. They don’t appear to be stopping people from purchasing firearms.

Despite 10-day waiting periods, expansive background checks, a limit on one handgun purchase every 30 days and a broad “assault weapons” ban, California experienced a 180 percent increase in attempted gun purchases over the last decade.

California is one of a handful of states that requires background checks for every single gun purchase. Whether a person is trying to buy a gun from a licensed firearms dealer or through a private transaction, he or she is required to submit information to the state. So, the number of background checks being processed provides a rough — but not exact — window into the number of guns being purchased here.

Read more at KQED