President Barack Obama has unveiled a raft of sweeping gun control proposals, setting the stage for a showdown with firearms rights advocates.
Mr Obama called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and wider background checks on gun buyers.
The Democratic president also signed 23 executive actions, which do not require congressional approval.
Mr Obama said gun-control reforms could not wait any longer, after last month's school massacre in Connecticut.
He unveiled the proposals at the White House on Wednesday, flanked by children who wrote him letters after December's Newtown shooting, which left 20 children and six teachers dead.
Mr Obama said: "If there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try."
'Gin up fear'
He urged Congress:
- to reintroduce an expired ban on "military-style" assault weapons, such as those used in several recent mass shootings
- limit ammunition magazines to 10 rounds
- introduce background checks on all gun sales; currently private sales and some sales at gun shows, constituting about 40% of the national total, are exempt
- pass a ban on possession and sale of armour-piercing bullets
- introduce harsher penalties for gun-traffickers, especially unlicensed dealers who buy arms for criminals
- finally approve the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Mr Obama also signed 23 unilateral orders, including an end to a ban on gun-violence research by a prominent federal agency, as well as a measure promoting responsible gun ownership.
But he acknowledged his legislative push would encounter stiff opposition in Congress.
"This will be difficult," he said.
"There will be pundits and politicians and special interest lobbyists publicly warning of a tyrannical all-out assault on liberty, not because that's true, but because they want to gin up fear or higher ratings or revenue for themselves.
"And behind the scenes, they'll do everything they can to block any common-sense reform and make sure nothing changes whatsoever."
The US has one of the highest rates of civilian gun ownership in the world. The second amendment of the US constitution states, with qualifications, that "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed".
Although the meaning of the clause is still debated, many gun-rights advocates read it absolutely and oppose any curbs on access to weapons.
The new White House proposals are the result of meetings between a task force led by Vice-President Joe Biden and groups from across the political spectrum, White House aides said.
Mr Biden met gun control and firearms rights advocates, entertainment and video game industry figures, parents of shooting victims and law enforcement officials.
'Repugnant and cowardly'
The task force also consulted the nation's top gun lobby, the National Rifle Association (NRA), which says it has signed up more than 100,000 members since the Newtown massacre.
On Wednesday, the NRA released a web advert attacking the president as "an elitist hypocrite" for allowing Secret Service agents to protect his daughters, while not committing to back armed guards in all US schools.
The White House said the ad was "repugnant and cowardly".
On Wednesday, Mr Obama also proposed freeing up law enforcement funds for schools to hire 1,000 new armed police, school psychologists, social workers or other staff trained to prevent violence.
The White House proposals do not go quite as far as a law passed in New York state on Tuesday.
Those measures include a wider ban on assault weapons and a law limiting high-capacity ammunition magazines.
There are also provisions to keep guns from mentally ill people who make threats, while some gun owners will have to register them with authorities.
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