\n<\/p>\n
Gun ownership rates haven\u2019t changed much since the 1960s,\u00a0Gallup<\/a>\u00a0pollsters would have you believe. Gun ownership is actually two points lower today than it was in the 60s, the polling giant claims.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u2019t theirs.\u00a0<\/p>\n This data, minus a point or two, has been used in Gallup\u2019s stories for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n From an 11-year-old Gallup story titled\u00a0Men, Married, Southerners Most Likely to Be Gun Owners<\/a>, \u201can 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.\u201d<\/p>\n From a Gallup story published just weeks ago titled\u00a0Gun Ownership Rates Have Spiked Among Republican Women<\/a>: \u201cA 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Almost all of Gallup\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe stability in the overall figures obscures an increase in ownership among women in general, driven by Republican women,\u201d the most recent story suggested.\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0National Shooting Sports Foundation<\/a>, the\u00a0Second Amendment Foundation<\/a>\u00a0and other firearm groups strongly disagree with Gallup\u2019s gun ownership numbers.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe that number is representative of the true number of gun owners in America today,\u201d said National Shooting Sports Foundation spokesman Mark Oliva. \u201cEveryone dismisses Gallup\u2019s polling data.\u201d<\/p>\n The two Gallup stories are not alone. Gallup\u2019s pollsters have based hundreds of stories on their\u00a044% have guns, 30% own the guns, and 14% don\u2019t own the guns<\/strong>, premise.\u00a0<\/p>\n On an online story page titled\u00a0Guns<\/a>, Gallup has a graphic that shares their firearm ownership data from the 1960s to today, which is simply titled: \u201cDo you have a gun in your home?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n To be clear, Gallup has stated in stories that it didn\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n The NSSF\u2019s Oliva and many others doubt that Gallup can obtain their data legitimately through phone calls, which the firm continues to use.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf I were to be cold-called by a polling company and asked about guns, I would hang up on them,\u201d Oliva told the Second Amendment Foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNew York published the names of those who had permits,\u201d Oliva said. \u201cCalifornia \u2018accidentally\u2019 released private concealed-carriers information.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Other groups may use the gun-owner information for malicious purposes.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of gun owners opt out of these surveys and aren\u2019t well represented,\u201d Oliva said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n It is not known how Gallup came up with, or why they maintain, gun-ownership numbers. The firm did not respond to SAF\u2019s emails or phone calls seeking their comments for this story. Their data, however, is clearly wrong, especially the gun-sales numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the past 25 years, between 8 million to 39 million firearms were sold each year,\u00a0according to FBI data<\/a>, which is based on the ATF Form 4473. Actual firearms transfer data, which includes private sales that do not require federal forms, is higher.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cGallup\u2019s polling data would have you believe that 30 percent of gun owners are just adding to their collections,\u201d Oliva said. \u201cWe don\u2019t think this is true, especially when we\u2019ve seen that millions of new gun owners are buying guns for the first time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Gallup certainly isn\u2019t alone. In a story published in July,\u00a0Pew Research<\/a>\u00a0said roughly 40% of Americans have a firearm in their home, including 32% who claimed ownership. This claim, too, is wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s actually pretty simple, really.\u00a0<\/p>\n Story courtesy of the Second Amendment Foundation\u2019s Investigative Journalism Project. Click\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>\u00a0to make a tax-deductible donation to the project.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Polling Concerns<\/h2>\n
Data Problems<\/h2>\n
![<\/a><\/div>\nGun ownership rates haven\u2019t changed much since the 1960s,\u00a0Gallup<\/a>\u00a0pollsters would have you believe. Gun ownership is actually two points lower today than it was in the 60s, the polling giant claims.\u00a0<\/p>\nAccording 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\u2019t theirs.\u00a0<\/p>\nThis data, minus a point or two, has been used in Gallup\u2019s stories for years.\u00a0<\/p>\nFrom an 11-year-old Gallup story titled\u00a0Men, Married, Southerners Most Likely to Be Gun Owners<\/a>, \u201can 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.\u201d<\/p>\nFrom a Gallup story published just weeks ago titled\u00a0Gun Ownership Rates Have Spiked Among Republican Women<\/a>: \u201cA 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.\u201d<\/p>\nAlmost all of Gallup\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cThe stability in the overall figures obscures an increase in ownership among women in general, driven by Republican women,\u201d the most recent story suggested.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe\u00a0National Shooting Sports Foundation<\/a>, the\u00a0Second Amendment Foundation<\/a>\u00a0and other firearm groups strongly disagree with Gallup\u2019s gun ownership numbers.<\/p>\n\u201cI don\u2019t believe that number is representative of the true number of gun owners in America today,\u201d said National Shooting Sports Foundation spokesman Mark Oliva. \u201cEveryone dismisses Gallup\u2019s polling data.\u201d<\/p>\nThe two Gallup stories are not alone. Gallup\u2019s pollsters have based hundreds of stories on their\u00a044% have guns, 30% own the guns, and 14% don\u2019t own the guns<\/strong>, premise.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\u201cMajority in U.S. Continues to Favor Stricter Gun Laws,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0which was published by Gallup Oct. 21, 2023, claims \u201cForty-four percent<\/strong>\u00a0of U.S. adults say they have a gun in their home or on their property, with\u00a030%<\/strong>\u00a0saying the gun belongs to them personally and the remainder saying it belongs to another household member.\u201c\u2028<\/em><\/li>\n\u201cU.S. Opinion and the Election: Guns, Immigration, Climate,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0which was published Oct. 21, 2022, states: \u201cIt is notable that Gallup data show\u00a044%<\/strong>\u00a0of 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.\u201d\u2028<\/em><\/li>\n\u201cGun Owners Increasingly Cite Crime as Reason for Ownership,\u201d<\/a>\u00a0which was published Nov. 17, 2021, states, \u201cIt is notable that Gallup data show\u00a044%<\/strong>\u00a0of 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.\u2028<\/em><\/li>\n\u201cWhat Percentage of Americans Own Guns?\u201d<\/a>\u00a0which was published Nov. 13, 2020, claims \u201cThirty-two percent<\/strong>\u00a0of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun, while a larger percentage, 44%<\/strong>, report living in a gun household.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nOn an online story page titled\u00a0Guns<\/a>, Gallup has a graphic that shares their firearm ownership data from the 1960s to today, which is simply titled: \u201cDo you have a gun in your home?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nTo be clear, Gallup has stated in stories that it didn\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\nPolling Concerns<\/h2>\nThe NSSF\u2019s Oliva and many others doubt that Gallup can obtain their data legitimately through phone calls, which the firm continues to use.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cIf I were to be cold-called by a polling company and asked about guns, I would hang up on them,\u201d Oliva told the Second Amendment Foundation.\u00a0<\/p>\nGun 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cNew York published the names of those who had permits,\u201d Oliva said. \u201cCalifornia \u2018accidentally\u2019 released private concealed-carriers information.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nOther groups may use the gun-owner information for malicious purposes.<\/p>\n\u201cA lot of gun owners opt out of these surveys and aren\u2019t well represented,\u201d Oliva said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nData Problems<\/h2>\nIt is not known how Gallup came up with, or why they maintain, gun-ownership numbers. The firm did not respond to SAF\u2019s emails or phone calls seeking their comments for this story. Their data, however, is clearly wrong, especially the gun-sales numbers.\u00a0<\/p>\nFor the past 25 years, between 8 million to 39 million firearms were sold each year,\u00a0according to FBI data<\/a>, which is based on the ATF Form 4473. Actual firearms transfer data, which includes private sales that do not require federal forms, is higher.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201cGallup\u2019s polling data would have you believe that 30 percent of gun owners are just adding to their collections,\u201d Oliva said. \u201cWe don\u2019t think this is true, especially when we\u2019ve seen that millions of new gun owners are buying guns for the first time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nGallup certainly isn\u2019t alone. In a story published in July,\u00a0Pew Research<\/a>\u00a0said roughly 40% of Americans have a firearm in their home, including 32% who claimed ownership. This claim, too, is wrong.\u00a0<\/p>\nNo 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.\u00a0<\/p>\nIt\u2019s actually pretty simple, really.\u00a0<\/p>\nStory courtesy of the Second Amendment Foundation\u2019s Investigative Journalism Project. Click\u00a0<\/em>here<\/em><\/a>\u00a0to make a tax-deductible donation to the project.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\nSource link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gun ownership rates haven\u2019t changed much since the 1960s,\u00a0Gallup\u00a0pollsters would have you believe. Gun ownership is actually two points lower today than it was in the 60s, the polling giant claims.\u00a0 According to Gallup, gun ownership data has been roughly the same for more than 60 years: 44% of Americans admit they have a gun […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4313","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-reviews"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4313\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Gallup-Poll-Gun-Ownership.jpeg\"){kind=link}