Roughly half of all gun owners (49%) say that all or most of their friends own guns. Many American gun owners exist in a social context where gun ownership is the norm. 1 Among the key findings: The ties that bind gun owners to their firearms are often deepĪ majority of gun owners (66%) own multiple firearms, and about three-quarters (73%) say they could never see themselves not owning a gun. adults, including 1,269 gun owners, was conducted March 13 to 27 and April 4 to 18, 2017, using the Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel.

The nationally representative survey of 3,930 U.S. Among gun owners, there is a diversity of views on gun policy, driven in large part by party affiliation. Gun owners and non-owners are also deeply divided on several gun policy proposals, but there is agreement on some restrictions, such as preventing those with mental illnesses and those on federal watch lists from buying guns. today, although gun owners and non-owners offer divergent views on this. Half see gun violence as a very big problem in the U.S. adults say they personally know someone who has been shot, either accidentally or intentionally, and about a quarter (23%) say they or someone in their family have been threatened or intimidated by someone using a gun. To be sure, experiences with guns aren’t always positive: 44% of U.S.

A third of adults say they don’t currently own a gun and can’t see themselves ever doing so. adults say they own a gun, and an additional 36% say that while they don’t own one now, they might be open to owning a gun in the future. And roughly seven-in-ten – including 55% of those who have never personally owned a gun – say they have fired a gun at some point. At least two-thirds have lived in a household with a gun at some point in their lives. The survey finds that Americans have broad exposure to guns, whether they personally own one or not. At the same time, the results of gun-related violence have shaken the nation, and debates over gun policy remain sharply polarized.Ī new Pew Research Center survey attempts to better understand the complex relationship Americans have with guns and how that relationship intersects with their policy views. Whether for hunting, sport shooting or personal protection, most gun owners count the right to bear arms as central to their freedom. Integrated into the fabric of American society since the country’s earliest days, guns remain a point of pride for many Americans. has a deep and enduring connection to guns.

Types of guns that start with b