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"The sole purpose of those AR-15s or AK-47s is to put a lot of lead out on the battlefield quickly, and that's what they do and that's what they did at Sandy Hook Elementary School," said the father, Neil Heslin, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, was a victim. Mr. Heslin told lawmakers that he had grown up around guns and was the son of an avid hunter, but that he believed there was no reason any citizen should have an assault-style weapon like the one used to kill his son.

"That wasn't just a killing; that was a massacre," he said. "Those children and those victims were shot apart. And my son was one of them."

But opinions at the capital were split, with gun control proponents and opponents lining up by the hundreds to get into the hearing and holding competing news conferences. The families did not speak with one voice, either.

Mark Mattioli, whose son James, 6, was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, said: "I believe in a few simple gun laws. I think we have more than enough on the books. We should hold people individually accountable for their actions."

"The problem is not gun laws," he added. "The problem is a lack of civility."

Mr. Mattioli said he also thought some liberals were using the attack in Newtown to spread fear on gun issues.

The hearing, one of several scheduled by the legislature's Bipartisan Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety, was scheduled to continue all day. More than 1,300 people, including family members, gun control advocates, gun rights advocates and gun industry representatives, had signed up to testify, although it was not clear how many would get the chance. The task force hopes to have legislation prepared for passage by the end of February.

Outside the building, people braved frigid temperatures and driving snow to wait for hours to pass through metal detectors, part of the heightened security measures for the hearing. Women from groups like March for Change and One Million Moms for Gun Control, which are calling for stricter gun laws, stood among burly men wearing hunting jackets and National Rifle Association hats. The crowd remained mostly civil except for occasional shouting matches when people had cut in line.

Gun rights supporters clearly outnumbered those in favor of more gun control. One man carried a sign reading: "Gun Control Does Not Make You Safer." Another wore a jacket that said "N.R.A. Empowerment Member."

David Gentry, a personal trainer from Stamford, wore a holster on his waist with a copy of the Constitution tucked in it. "I just feel that's where the conversation should start," he said.

Mr. Gentry, a father of two, said he was saddened by the Newtown massacre but also worried about "knee-jerk reactions" to it. Immediately after the attack, he said, he renewed his N.R.A. membership, which had lapsed, bought four N.R.A. T-shirts and decided to attend the hearing on Monday to oppose stricter gun proposals.

"There are things we can do in this country to help secure our children and improve firearms safety," he said. "Better training, securing firearms, yet not making them unaccessible to authorized owners."

He added that he was outraged that Nancy Lanza, whose son Adam killed her at home and the 20 children and 6 adults at the school, had not locked her weapons in a safe, keeping them out of his hands.

Kori Hammel, a musician and mother from Stratford, came with March for Change. For many, like Ms. Hammel, this was their first foray into the gun-control debate.

"Sandy Hook was 10 minutes from where I grew up," she said. "I just can't act like everything is O.K."

Wendy Skratt, who was also there with the group, looked around the line and noted how outnumbered they were, both as gun control advocates and women.

"I know I'm not in the minority when it comes to owning a gun," said Ms. Skratt, a Stamford mother of two. "Only 17 percent of people in Connecticut own a gun. Hopefully more non-gun owners will come out. Unfortunately, the N.R.A. is a powerful force."

Inside the hearing room, gun rights supporters wore round yellow stickers reading "Another Responsible Gun Owner." People on the other side of the issue wore green ribbons, which have become a symbol of the Newtown tragedy.