AR-15 AR15 rifle
Dan Z. for TTAG

Americans have purchased modern sporting rifles (MSRs) by the millions and are becoming more aware of the firearm’s functionality and operation. As a result, a new poll shows Americans increasingly do not support a national ban on MSRs at the same time President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats continue to demand one.

Americans want criminals held accountable for breaking existing gun laws, not more laws that infringe upon their rights.

Increasingly Unpopular

A new poll from Quinnipiac University is again throwing cold water on gun control advocates’ push to ban commonly-owned firearms. In this case, it’s the modern sporting rifle (MSR)…the so-called “assault rifle” or “assault weapon” as anti-gunners commonly mislabel them.

According to Quinnipiac, 48 percent oppose a ban. The poll noted a continuing trend against a ban. In July last year, 45 percent opposed the ban – a three percentage point swing in about seven months.

gun store sales counter AR-15 customer
Shutterstock

Firearm industry data showed over the past few years while law-abiding Americans purchased firearms at a blistering pace, the MSR was a popular choice, including among first-time gun owners. Since 1990, there are more than 24.4 million MSRs in circulation today. That includes more than 4.5 million in the last three years alone.

Those Americans purchasing MSRs and becoming more familiar and comfortable with the firearm include all demographics and backgrounds, including women and African Americans. As NBC reported on the rifle’s growing popularity, 26-year-old mother Megan Hill explained why she bought one. “We looked at the AR-15, and it was all in one package. You can target-shoot with it, protect yourself with it, hunt with it. Luckily we haven’t had to use it in self-defense, but it’s a comfort knowing that it’s there to protect my children and my family.”

The Trend Continues

The Reload reported on the newest poll. The Quinnipiac data marked the second major polling survey to show declines in support for a federal ban on the popular rifle. An ABC News/Washington Post poll painted a similar picture earlier this month.

That poll showed a majority of Americans — 51% — are opposed adopting a national “assault weapons” ban, a 10-point jump in opposition since the question was last asked in 2019. Only 47 percent of those polled said they support the proposal, the second-lowest level of support measured since the poll began in 1995.

black women woman gun owner
Stayce Robinson poses for a portrait in Decatur, Ga., with her AR-15.  (AP Photo/Lisa Marie Pane)

“Among other issues, while President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to renew the long-expired ban on assault weapons, the public now is divided on the question, surprising given recent gun violence but confirming other data,” the report states.

The trend is not surprising though when viewed through the lens of Americans taking up their safety and Second Amendment rights to defend themselves and their families. When policymakers go soft on criminals who break the law and implement policies that defund law enforcement, law-abiding Americans will take responsibility for their safety.

Inaction at the Top

President Joe Biden has made passing a so-called “assault weapon ban” a mainstay of any speech regarding criminal misuse of firearms, even when deranged individuals and murderers use some other kind of firearm. He’s even on the receiving end of criticism from major gun control groups for not getting a ban passed, or using executive action to implement one.

In Congress, the previous Democratic controlled House of Representatives barely passed a ban. That legislation stalled in the U.S. Senate where not even all Democrats support a ban. As another presidential campaign is already underway, Americans will likely hear more campaign rhetoric demanding bans. Americans have spoken. The gun control politicians don’t seem to be listening.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

32 COMMENTS

  1. “The public” may oppose firearms bans, but they vote to do so; that is what matters.

    Of course, even if the super majority of “the public” opposed firearms bans, the votes that count are in the hands of state and national legislators, who do not fear “the public”. And “the public” will vote to keep such legislators in office.

    • No, in a constitutional Republic, the public servants can only perform those duties specifically allowed to them, all else ABSOLUTELY DENIED.
      The common law is very clear on this as is Madison in Federalist 49 where he affirms the rights of the People will not be trampled upon by government due to “constitutional limitations”.
      =
      The Constitution does NOT allow public servants to act upon the lawful possession of firearm by lawful citizens and the Second Amendment DOUBLY denies such.
      =
      Any public servant who votes for or enforces laws that violate RKBA, are committing crimes.
      =
      =

      • “No, in a constitutional Republic, the public servants can only perform those duties specifically allowed to them, all else ABSOLUTELY DENIED.”

        As if that is operationally, legally. realistically important. All laws are constitutional, until ruled otherwise by the courts, somehow, some way, some time.

        Is individual nullification persuasive? Will it keep you from being charged for violating a law that has yet to be declared unconstitutional? Is individual nullification effective (as a legal or political tool) if one refuses to comply, yet is never discovered to have done so?

        The magic of “Bruen” was to generate even more opportunities to spend money trying to get the courts to declare the Second Amendment absolute.

  2. lol. The poll write-up has to toss in this qualifier making it seem like a strange anomaly to be dismissed:

    Support for an assault weapons ban was this low just once before, a 45-53 percent result in December 2015; that poll, and this one, are the only two in which more than 50 percent have opposed a ban. In most other polls since 1995, majorities have supported an assault weapons ban, peaking at 79 percent in May 1999. It was 62 percent as recently as April 2018. https://www.langerresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/1228a3StateoftheUnion.pdf

    When they can’t point to their beloved majority/mob opinion they point to the majority/mob polling for a defined period of time to get the result they want. I’m surprised they don;t just report something like “polling over the past 20 years shows support for an AWB holding a steady average of 60%.” I’m sure it will come to that sooner or later.

  3. Well just to be a real Dick I’ve got all the “assault rifles” I need or could sale. So yeah , Ban Them Assualt rifles, I bought the AK’s for $250, cant remember what those crates of emu cost, wasn’t much $110? .
    So yeah, down with Assault Rifles, ban them all, handgunms, shotgunms, riffles and back currents, BAN, BAN, BAN.
    Take you a glass of water
    Make it against the law
    See how good the water taste
    When you cant have any at all
    .
    BTW , I’ve got some SKS 30rounders for sale, I think a fair price would be $10 per bullet. I dont ‘need’ them anymore Joe Biden said deer dont wear kevlar vest, and besides I shoot most of my deer out of an F16 loaded up with nuclear warheads. It’s a little costly but the mushroom cloud really makes a pretty sunset.

    • I tried Biden’s shotgun trick on the balcony. The game warden showed up and wanted the two geese and my hunting license, the bad guy stole the car anyway. Maybe it only works if Jill does it.

      😜

      • So the game warden stole your car? That’s what you get for using it in a game harvesting crime. Just be glad he didnt compensate your house, then shoot your wife because she throws a hussy fit over being homeless.

    • “cant remember what those crates of emu cost, wasn’t much $110? .”

      Blammo I bought back in the 80s by the crate, that ChiCom 7.62×39 was about 80 bucks a crate, if memory serves…

      • At one point in the 90’s after the wall fell I was buying 7.62x54r so cheap that it was nearly as cheap as ,22lr. Pick up an sks for under a hundred bucks and a mosin nagant for less than 70.

        I got a nagant model 95 revolver for 59 bucks to carry gold panning in the mountains. I figured if the cops took it I wasn’t out anything. I was getting 14 round surplus boxes of that funky revolver ammo for next to nothing.

  4. Rights are not subject to the whims of the mob. If that were so a simple majority could end women’s suffrage.

    • Jethro the janitor,

      I want to expand on your point. A thought has occurred to me in the last few years. I believe simple majorities are fine for laws/policies such as where to build a new bridge across a river. What I believe we must eliminate is allowing simple majorities (e.g. 51%) to dictate invasive policy/laws (such as tax rates where government takes thousands of dollars of your money) and criminal laws. Instead, I believe we should require a significant super-majority (at least 75%???) in those types of cases.

      Consider whether 75% (or more) of voters would support the following few examples:

      Law which makes rape a crime.
      Law which makes murder a crime.
      Law which imposes a 4% tax on everyone.

      And consider whether 75% (or more) of voters would support the following few examples:

      Law which makes carrying a firearm for righteous self-defense a crime.
      Law which makes “hate speech” a crime.
      Law which imposes a 50% tax on everyone.

      In other words, we can pretty much count on 75% of voters to be sober-minded, NOT hysterical, and support productive public policy/laws. Such a standard would also significantly reduce (hopefully) all the stupid nitpicking that goes on and wastes so much of everyone’s time and energy.

    • “The lovely Ms. Stayce and her gat has been highlighted here before:”

      She is kinda hot… 🙂

  5. Now watch dacian, the DUNDERHEAD and MINOR Miner49er claim this is “right wing propaganda…
    Face is gun control freaks, your message is losing traction.

    • Their logic is sound. White people using government to disarm blacks is racist. White people using government to disarm everyone is equality.

  6. LMFAO
    As if any of these poles mean anything at all!

    It does not matter what any of them say, one way or the other. This is not to be trusted. Personally, I don’t believe that the majority of Americans care about this either way.

    • “Personally, I don’t believe that the majority of Americans care about this either way.”

      You got that right. Given the choice between the Constitution, and some freebie from the govt, far too many choose the freebie.

  7. I think you would get a lot more comments if the moderation filter wasn’t putting every comment into moderation. I wrote no trigger words and didn’t even swear. Five times in two days? Pay your WordPress invoice.

    • They aren’t always obvious trigger words, either.

      D-r-i-n-k-i-n-g goes to moderation.

      ‘Someone’ goes through okay on it’s own. ‘Else’ does too. Now try putting them together.

  8. The Marxist Democats see the 47% and claim it is the “MAJORITY”, cause they took Communist California MATH!!!!

    • I beg to differ with your last statement….because Joe Biden is THE WORST POTUS of at least this century.

Comments are closed.