Gallup: Record-Low 26% in U.S. Favor Handgun Ban; Majority Oppose Ban on So-Called Assault Weapons

Support for stricter gun laws in general is lowest Gallup has measured

by Chad D. Baus

A new Gallup poll has found that a record-low 26% of Americans favor a legal ban on the possession of handguns in the United States other than by police and other authorized people. According to the article, when Gallup first asked Americans this question in 1959, 60% favored banning handguns. But since 1975, the majority of Americans have opposed such a measure, with opposition around 70% in recent years.

The poll also finds that a majority of Americans are opposed to banning semi-automatic guns or "assault" rifles.

A majority of Americans also favor keeping gun laws as they are now, or making them less strict.

From the article:

The results are based on Gallup's annual Crime poll, conducted Oct. 6-9. This year's poll finds support for a variety of gun-control measures at historical lows, including the ban on handguns, which is Gallup's longest continuing gun-control trend.

For the first time, Gallup finds greater opposition to than support for a ban on semiautomatic guns or assault rifles, 53% to 43%. In the initial asking of this question in 1996, the numbers were nearly reversed, with 57% for and 42% against an assault rifle ban. Congress passed such a ban in 1994, but the law expired when Congress did not act to renew it in 2004. Around the time the law expired, Americans were about evenly divided in their views.

Additionally, support for the broader concept of making gun laws "more strict" is at its lowest by one percentage point (43%). Forty-four percent prefer that gun laws be kept as they are now, while 11% favor less strict laws.

As recently as 2007, a majority of Americans still favored stricter laws, which had been the dominant view since Gallup first asked the question in 1990.

The article goes on to say that Americans' preference regarding gun laws is generally that the government enforce existing laws more strictly and not pass new laws (60%) rather than pass new gun laws in addition to stricter enforcement of existing laws (35%). The article also notes that while that has been the public's view since Gallup first asked the question in 2000, the 60% this year who want stricter enforcement but no new laws is tied for the high in the trend.

Again, from the article:

All key subgroups show less support for stricter gun laws, and for a ban on handguns, than they did 20 years ago. In 1991, 68% of Americans favored stricter gun laws and 43% favored a ban on handguns. Those percentages are 43% and 26%, respectively, today.

Relatively few key subgroups favor stricter gun-control laws today, whereas in 1991, all did. Since then, Democrats' views have shown less change, with a 10-point decline in the percentage favoring stricter laws. Republicans show a much larger decline of 35 points. In addition to Democrats, majorities of Eastern residents and those without guns in their household still favor stricter gun laws.

Democrats, Eastern residents, members of gun non-owning households, and women were among the few subgroups to favor a ban on handguns in 1991, but now no key subgroup has a majority in favor. Those with guns in their household are least likely to favor a handgun ban.

The report shows that Americans have shifted to a more pro-gun view on gun laws, particularly in recent years, with record-low support for a ban on handguns, an "assault" rifle ban, and stricter gun laws in general.

The article concludes by noting that diminished support for gun-control laws "may also be tied to the lack of major gun-control legislation efforts in Congress in recent years."

Ya' think?

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Vice Chairman.