Was there always a strong anti-gun lobby in the US?

It seems that groups opposed to firearm ownership really got big in the last 30-40 years. What about before then? We never hear about anti-gun groups from the 40s and 50s. Was it an issue then? What about in the 1920s, when gang violence skyrocketed with "tommyguns" because of prohibition? Was there a lot of anti-gun legislation during that time? If not, why has gun ownership never been a big deal in America until recently?