Fear & Loading: Today’s Major Reason For Gun Ownership—Protection

by
posted on June 28, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
gun_store.jpg

“Two-thirds of gun owners say protection is a major reason they own a gun,” according to a recently released Pew Research Center survey. Seventy-two percent who owned a firearm said they have a handgun and one out of every four carry it outside their home—a figure that rises to 41 percent when they consider their community unsafe. Four out of 10 have a loaded gun close-at-hand in their residence.

Seventy-four percent of gun-owning respondents said their right to do so is “essential” to their sense of freedom. Self-defense topped the reasons for ownership, with hunting coming in a distant second-place at 38 percent. Sport shooting accounted for roughly 30 percent, collectors 13 and 8 percent of the respondents said it was part of their job.

As for the industry’s long-term prognosis, 36 percent of those who currently don’t own even a single firearm, “… might be open to owning a gun in the future.” That untapped market may have been created because seven out of 10 respondents in the survey of 3,930 U.S. adults have been shooting at least once in their life. Once they buy, the odds are good they’ll do it at least one more time, because 66 percent of gun owners have more than one. 

Women experience firearms at a later age, with the “average” gun-owning female first behind a trigger at 17 years old and purchasing one at the age of 27. The corresponding numbers for men were 12 and 19. Nearly half of Caucasian men own a firearm, a figure that unfortunately drops to 24 percent among women and nonwhite males.

Ninety-five percent of the gun owners who responded to the survey said, “…. talking to children about gun safety is essential … .”

Latest

Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main
Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main

Guns Of The U.S. Tankers In World War II

Since the end of World War II, debates have raged about the effectiveness of American armored fighting vehicles in that conflict. Despite all the Monday morning armored quarterbacking, American AFVs were war-winners, driven to victory by some the finest fighting men our nation has ever produced.

MidwayUSA Foundation Awards Over $14 Million In Cash Grants In 2025

In honor of National Shooting Sports Month—held annually in August—along with the growing popularity of the sport with new participants, MidwayUSA Foundation announced it has distributed more than $14.2 million in cash grants to support youth shooting sports in 2025.

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.