Gun Ownership Declining? Don’t Believe It

An Associated Press story receiving considerable attention cites the latest General Social Survey finding that gun ownership has declined in recent years, though other research—from Gallup polls to FBI background checks to NSSF-commissioned studies—provides evidence that Americans are embracing gun ownership at a much higher rate than the suspect GSS indicates.

The GSS finds that 32 percent of Americans own firearms or live with someone who owns one, a decrease when compared to GSS ownership rates from the 1970s and 1980s. But who would argue that these are very different times? In this era of government mistrust and information breaches, would you tell a stranger whether you own firearms or not—or freely offer other personal or family information you deem private?

The GSS isn’t actually counting the number of firearms in each household. Rather it is counting the number of individuals willing to disclose to a stranger at their front door how many firearms they own. There should be no surprise that despite an unprecedented eight-year increase in federal background checks to purchase guns, the increased number of carry permits, and rising trends in firearm safety courses and hunting participation, this survey shows a decrease in the number of firearms.

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