In fact, so long as you stay away from felony convictions--you are a "law-abiding citizen" in the eyes of the NRA and entitle to buy and carry just about any firearm you wish. And let's not forget that most DAs will accept plea bargains which reduce felony crimes to misdemeanors. It saves money, time, and preserves conviction rates.
So, we've established the "law-abiding" aren't as "law-abiding" as the gunloons would have you believe.
So...how is gun control "punishing" these so-called "law-abiding citizens?"
Well, apparently, gunloons believe background checks are just a horrible, terrible ordeal to be subjected to. IOW, gunloons who believe they could easily respond to and prevent mass murders believe a check into whether they are a convicted felon or mentally ill is simply beyond the pale of human endurance.
The mentally ill? Well, this, per NRA strictures, means someone who has been involuntarily committed to a mental institution. In some states, annual involuntary commitments are zero. Folks like Ted Kacszynski and John Hinckley and Seung-Hui Cho never made the cut to be involuntarily committed.
It's an embarrassing fact for gunloons: Their idea of "punishment" seems to be ascertaining whether of not they are a convicted felon (though they can have an extensive criminal background) and/or whether or not they so are so crazed as to be able to function--or semi-function--in society.
What a horrible, terrible "punishment."
Of course, this doesn't account for the makority of gunloons who are simply untrained and unqualified to use anything more than a spork.