Gun ownership rates haven’t changed much since the 1960s, Gallup pollsters would have you believe. Gun ownership is actually two points lower today than it was in the 60s, the polling giant claims.
According to Gallup, gun ownership data has been roughly the same for more than 60 years: 44% of Americans admit they have a gun in their home, but only 30% admit the gun is theirs and 14% say the gun isn’t theirs.
This data, minus a point or two, has been used in Gallup’s stories for years.
From an 11-year-old Gallup story titled Men, Married, Southerners Most Likely to Be Gun Owners, “an average of 30% of Americans said they personally own a gun. Another 14% did not personally own a gun but live in a household with someone who does.”
From a Gallup story published just weeks ago titled Gun Ownership Rates Have Spiked Among Republican Women: “A steady 31% of U.S. adults personally own a gun, while another 13% say there is a gun in their household that belongs to someone else.”
Almost all of Gallup’s anti-gun stories use this data to support their points, while some use the faulty data to support a long list of ever-changing claims.
“The stability in the overall figures obscures an increase in ownership among women in general, driven by Republican women,” the most recent story suggested.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Second Amendment Foundation and other firearm groups strongly disagree with Gallup’s gun ownership numbers.
“I don’t believe that number is representative of the true number of gun owners in America today,” said National Shooting Sports Foundation spokesman Mark Oliva. “Everyone dismisses Gallup’s polling data.”
The two Gallup stories are not alone. Gallup’s pollsters have based hundreds of stories on their 44% have guns, 30% own the guns, and 14% don’t own the guns, premise.
- “Majority in U.S. Continues to Favor Stricter Gun Laws,” which was published by Gallup Oct. 21, 2023, claims “Forty-four percent of U.S. adults say they have a gun in their home or on their property, with 30% saying the gun belongs to them personally and the remainder saying it belongs to another household member.“
- “U.S. Opinion and the Election: Guns, Immigration, Climate,” which was published Oct. 21, 2022, states: “It is notable that Gallup data show 44% of Americans say either that they own a gun personally or that there is a gun in their household, making this a large constituency with a direct interest in legislation that would affect their gun ownership.”
- “Gun Owners Increasingly Cite Crime as Reason for Ownership,” which was published Nov. 17, 2021, states, “It is notable that Gallup data show 44% of Americans say either that they own a gun personally or that there is a gun in their household, making this a large constituency with a direct interest in legislation that would affect their gun ownership.
- “What Percentage of Americans Own Guns?” which was published Nov. 13, 2020, claims “Thirty-two percent of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun, while a larger percentage, 44%, report living in a gun household.”
On an online story page titled Guns, Gallup has a graphic that shares their firearm ownership data from the 1960s to today, which is simply titled: “Do you have a gun in your home?”
To be clear, Gallup has stated in stories that it didn’t track gun ownership data until around 2000, so it is not known how the organization gathered gun-ownership data from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
Polling Concerns
The NSSF’s Oliva and many others doubt that Gallup can obtain their data legitimately through phone calls, which the firm continues to use.
“If I were to be cold-called by a polling company and asked about guns, I would hang up on them,” Oliva told the Second Amendment Foundation.
Gun owners, he said, do not want to become crime victims, so they are very careful who they talk to about their guns, especially since several anti-gun state governments have already released their gun-owner data.
“New York published the names of those who had permits,” Oliva said. “California ‘accidentally’ released private concealed-carriers information.”
Other groups may use the gun-owner information for malicious purposes.
“A lot of gun owners opt out of these surveys and aren’t well represented,” Oliva said.
Data Problems
It is not known how Gallup came up with, or why they maintain, gun-ownership numbers. The firm did not respond to SAF’s emails or phone calls seeking their comments for this story. Their data, however, is clearly wrong, especially the gun-sales numbers.
For the past 25 years, between 8 million to 39 million firearms were sold each year, according to FBI data, which is based on the ATF Form 4473. Actual firearms transfer data, which includes private sales that do not require federal forms, is higher.
“Gallup’s polling data would have you believe that 30 percent of gun owners are just adding to their collections,” Oliva said. “We don’t think this is true, especially when we’ve seen that millions of new gun owners are buying guns for the first time.”
Gallup certainly isn’t alone. In a story published in July, Pew Research said roughly 40% of Americans have a firearm in their home, including 32% who claimed ownership. This claim, too, is wrong.
No government agency or private firm like Gallup knows how many Americans have guns in their homes, or how many guns Americans have in their homes. The reason for this is simple: American gun owners do not trust the government or private firms like Gallup or Pew Research with their gun data.
It’s actually pretty simple, really.
Story courtesy of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to the project.
I had a gun.
I turned it in when the cops had a guy buy back program.
I said, “I’m certainly glad you guys bought this gun back from me and rest assured I’ll never buy another one from you.”
I believe no results unless I’m asking the questions.
-GUN- buy back program,,,grrrr.
Bersa Bob.
I don’t know about you however if someone I do not know ask me about gun ownership I do not give them a yes answer.
Polls always reflect the wants of the people paying for the poll because if the poll doesn’t you never see the results.
This is one of the most well-researched articles I’ve read on the topic. The way you’ve structured the information makes it easy to follow and understand. Bookmarking this for future reference!
the above is a test ping for a future spam drop. is there a way to ban or banish “osvaldo” to moderation prison?
like you do to us regulars?
Surveys, or fiction? What do you think? I’ve hardly ever been asked if I own guns. There it was right there. Along with the car with a funny paint job. However, back when the silliness about M.D. asking about firearms ownership my son’s pediatrician asked me about firearms in our home. Without thinking I answered in the affirmative. He began to lecture me. I politely interrupted and explained my particular situation. He proceeded with his lecture, clearly irritated at being challenged. Now I became irritated. I said, “Dr. Jones, not only am an LEO, I am also the lead firearms instructor for my agency. In fact, I am armed now. (Off duty/concealed) I’ll make a deal with you. If you don’t presume to advise me on firearms, I won’t tell you how to treat patients.” I never heard another thing about it. As an aside, I’m currently lining up the annual Christmas quail hunt for my son, SIL and myself. I’m sure his doc is retired. John has an enviable firearms battery for a 29 year old man and hasn’t harmed himself, or anyone else.
Challenged! It’s almost a badge of honor.
I meant cencesord.
Not censured Gadsden.
Moderated.😉
Over the last few years I’ve had random pre-election calls from an NRA operative-usually an old sounding gal. Disguised #. Haven’t had a membership in at least 4 years. They obviously “think” I’m a gat owner. In what universe would I relay that info to some random schmuck?!?😧
“Oliva said. “We don’t think this is true, especially when we’ve seen that millions of new gun owners are buying guns for the first time.” “
I seriously do not understand how any organization can determine who is a new gun owner. Is there a 4473 block for noting a gun purchase is first time. And is there a penalty for mistakenly declare yes/no?
Galllup is creating a false reality for its masters. One in which every literary trope concerning firearms is factual.
“Galllup is creating a false reality for its masters.”
Agree, but how “real” is the claim to know which purchases belong to first time owners?
Are they going by hunting licenses and sale of related firearms? Obviously not going by pistols or defensive rifles.
Just days before the election, a new poll by one of America’s most trusted pollsters has Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris leading her Republican rival Donald Trump by three points in deep-red Iowa.
harris/walz probably relied on gallop too.
This is not the first time Gallup is wrong about something. They just reflect wants of people paying for the polls
Breaking: Trump’s Florida assassin shot at 6 times by Secret Service at 5′ away…and missed.
h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa9b1HIaeX0
DOJ IG Report: Dozens of FBI Confidential Sources at Capitol on January 6.
h ttps://legalinsurrection.com/2024/12/doj-ig-dozens-fbi-confidential-sources-at-capitol-on-january-6/
The problem with Gallup and gun ownership surveys begins with its methodology.
First, their actual sampling sizes are always way too small and actually statistically insignificant when it comes to actual ownership of guns, they use a predetermined sampling size and when they reach that number that’s the end of the data gathering. They have used the same sample size +/- a few % for the last 40 years.
Second, they “randomly” sample a disproportionate number of people from large cities in anti-gun states today. This decreases the number of people for survey that will own a gun or say they own a gun.
Third, they use a single gathering method which is ‘random’ number selection phone calls which is among the worst ways to do a survey for large scale ownership of anything. Overall, in the majority of the population people only actually answer the phone 10% – 15% of the time when it ‘rings’, this has been true for the last 5 decades. And in today’s world of cell phones over 85% of people don’t answer their phones if they don’t recognize the caller number or caller ID or if they do recognize the caller ID or number don’t want to or can’t talk right then. Then Gallup, and many of their ‘surveyors’ is listed among different services which service the cell phone industry as either ‘fraud’ or ‘spam’ or ‘telemarketer’ and most people don’t answer the call when that shows up. So there are a lot of people who do own guns that simply did not answer the phone. But Gallup keeps plugging away until they reach their predetermined sample size numbert. Then Gallup calls areas where people are less likely to admit to owning a gun for either ‘non ya bizness’ or ‘protective’ reasons. There is also an issue with ‘random’ number selection phone calls, it tends to favor large population density area cities which means less calls to non-urban areas where gun ownership numbers are more likely to be greater.
So, you have Gallup having a fixed per-determined sample size doing phone calls that tend to focus mostly on a very small sampling group that is actually statistically insignificant to areas where gun ownership is less likely ‘wide spread’ and to people who are less likely to own or say they own a gun.
This has been their same methodology for gun ownership survey for many years and that’s the reason it has appeared in Gallup to remain about the same – its a microcosm view, only a very thin slice of the pie, that’s less likely to change very much percentage wise…. basically they ignore the variable in the equation with a methodology that excludes the majority of the picture while proclaiming its the whole picture.
Or in other words, the Gallup poll for gun ownership is basically fiction.
Do Ursine organisms defecate in an arboreal setting?
Jimbo,
Do marine mammals defecate in an aquatic setting?
I personally believe something like half of homes have firearms. That could be higher or lower in various communities or regions of our nation.
Here is one aspect to consider. Many firearms (both handguns and long guns) these days cost around $400 (give-or-take) and a single box of ammunition is easily $20. A soft case is on the order of $20. And a cleaning kit is on the order of $20. How about additional possible expenses such as range time to practice, formal training, and even licensing costs in Democrat dominated states. How many households will justify spending around $460 to have a firearm, ammunition, case, and cleaning supplies–plus potentially a few hundred dollars more for those additional possible expenses? I can picture many households that would. And I can picture many households that would not–especially young adult households just starting out in life with very limited “discretionary” income.
My point is that the total cost of firearm ownership will preclude many households from owning firearms. That factor alone could easily rule-out something like 1/4th of households.
In my comment above, I mentioned how simple Economics could preclude something like 1/4th of households from having firearms. Now let’s consider households who ardently espouse Far-Left politics: that could easily be something like 1/4th of households who would refuse to own any firearms.
I also know people who have no political position with respect to owning firearms and have never considered owning one (or more).
Then I have heard of households who reject firearm ownership because they believe that one or more family members are irresponsible and the risks outweigh the benefits.
I am confident that someone could identify several more underlying factors which cause a household to NOT own firearms. Of course there would often be overlap with many of those underlying factors so they would not be entirely additive. Whatever the final result, it seems to me that Gallup’s numbers are plausible. Whether or not there is reliable data behind their published numbers is anyone’s guess.
I agree. Guns aren’t for everyone. But in the last five or so years many people who previously thought guns weren’t for them decided they needed at least one for many reasons relevant to them.
Southern Cross,
I know one such home.
“in the last five or so years many people who previously thought guns weren’t for them decided they needed at least one”
That’s my question; how many, and how do we know?
fix the moderation TTAG.
I’m gonna gallup my horse down the old town road🎵🎶.
“that’s ride, I’m gonna ride.
The pols say 44% of the people gallup their horses.
I canter agree with that, now trot along.
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