Sixty-seven percent of gun owners cite protection as a major reason for owning a gun. Among all those who have ever owned a gun, 15 percent say "they have fired or threatened to fire a gun to defend themselves, their family or their possessions."
Pew Research data shows that nearly half of all gun owners mention at least two major reasons for having a gun. While nothing comes close to the desire for personal protection, 38% cite hunting as a major reason and 30 percent mention sport shooting.[1]
The cultural gap between gun owners and non-owners is vast. Nearly half (49 percent) of gun owners live in a culture where most or all of their friends also own guns. Among those who don’t own guns, only one in 10 say the same. Yesterday’s Number of the Day noted that there are vast geographic differences in gun ownership. Residents in the Northeast and people who live in urban settings are far less likely to own guns.
Seventy-four percent of gun owners say that the right to own a gun is essential to their personal freedom. Only 35 percent of non-gun owners agree.
Pew also notes that "half of all gun owners say owning a gun is important to their overall identity — with 25 percent saying this is very important and another 25 percent calling it somewhat important."
Footnotes:
- Pew Research Center, "America’s Complex Relationship With Guns," June 22, 2017
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.
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