An estimated 3 million Americans carry a loaded handgun on themselves every day, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health. Posted on 10/26/2017 5:05:50 AM PDT by w1n1
An estimated 3 million Americans carry a loaded handgun on themselves every day, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Researchers from the University of Washington, Harvard University and the University of Colorado conducted the National Firearms Survey in 2015. From the 4,000 U.S. adults who participated in the online survey, 1,500 of them were handgun owners. One significant question was asked how often they carried a loaded handgun when they were out of their homes.
The objectives of the study were to “determine the frequency of loaded handgun carrying among US adult handgun owners, characterize those who carry, and examine concealed carrying by state concealed carry laws.”
In addition to the 3 million who carry daily, researchers found that 9 million Americans carry a gun once a month. People in that category were disproportionately likely to be conservative men ranging in age from 18 to 29 and living the south.
Four out of five of those who carried said protection was the main reason they armed themselves. About 6 percent said they’d been threatened by someone with a gun in the last five years.
The study comes as more and more states have eliminated laws mandating permits in order to concealed carry. Read the rest of the everyday carry handguns study here.
I agree the number is low. It’s not prudent to advertise that you’re carrying. I choose not to.
Exactly. Outside of the relatively anonymity here, in real life only 4 family members and 2 very close friends know that I am carrying almost every time I step outside the door. I don't carry in the house, but there is a loaded handgun within arms reach all the time. Right now there is one on the desk beside the keyboard I'm typing this on.
But respond to a survey? Tell a stranger? Ha! I'd sooner confess I didn't think mullets were all that bad...ah...wait, forget that last thing...
That was my first thought. Why would anyone want to carry an unloaded handgun?
Most gun owners I know are poor sailors.
I would never admit to carrying a loaded weapon for a multitude of reasons, and I suspect most sane people that want to keep their 2A rights would do the same.
This poll is just bogus, the actual count is considerably higher.
In a conversation with a North Dakota deputy sheriff a couple years ago he indicated that roughly one third of his traffic stops are legally carrying. His take was that it makes his job much safer.
Why the hell would I carry an UNloaded handgun?
And this is way out wrong, even in it's stupidity of journalism.
I would submit that probably closer to 25 million or so Americans are armed at any given time.
I can remember even as a child, seeing many, many of my fathers and grandfathers acquaintances, all of them with a small pistol of some sort...in a pocket, in the bib of their overalls, jammed into the small of their back, etc.
Weren't no big thing...nobody was traumatized and most all were well behaved, because even 50-60 years ago, it was a known and accepted fact that an armed society was a polite society, except for the very few that had to be "corrected" on occasion.
These gun grabbing nitwits have no clue.
And now, the presence of a loaded handgun is very hard to determine, as advancements in concealment items and the very fact that it isn't "cool" to flash your defensive items.
Even today, at my ripe old age of 67, at any given time, I have two guns, two knives for "whittlin' and whistlin'" and at least one so-called tactical knife for last chance defense.
And the chances of any casual observer seeing that I am so armed are very slim.
None of their business in the first place.
Oh yeah. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell.
If you carry an unloaded handgun you might as well carry a cop instead.
And they are posthumously referred to as "idiots".
I know two people that do that, both with a M&P 2.0.
They insist that they can draw, rack and aim quicker than I can draw, unsafe, sight and shoot them between the eyes with my Condition 1 1911.They are wrong.
They are stupid.
If we can save just one child or one woman from being raped and murdered, it will all be worth it.
It’s way more than that.
How many of those guns belong to the carrier? Did they poll the street gangs?
Hard to tell how many actually carry - not being “one of the smart ones” I will assert me and my wife both carry. I usually cover up when inside establishments but have been known to keep it open and have found out the local Sheriff department is perfectly fine with it and I’ve had some nice conversations with them because of it.
It’s called Las Vegas. Even the major lobbies wanted all pro gun bills put on hold for a while. I disagree with no reciprocity. I agree it has to wait a bit.
I agree the shooting has squashed things for now, but science January not one vote on gun rights was held. Vegas will be their latest excuse, but the truth is they were doing nothing for gun right before Vegas.
Maybe it depends on the definition of “loaded.” In Utah, the legal definition of “loaded” is instantly ready to fire. So, if you’re carrying without one in the pipe, you’re not carrying a loaded weapon, even if the magazine is full.
re: ‘In addition to the 3 million who carry daily, researchers found that 9 million Americans carry a gun once a month.’
I would say that those 9 million once-a-monthers, are carrying a payroll of some kind, therefore it is work-related.
Now, stating 9 million carry once-a-month, and 3 million carry ‘daily’, all those that ANSWERED THE QUESTION, it begs to compute that the number of ‘actual’ concealed carry folks, are more in the neighborhood above 27 million. (3 delta)
Now, with a number of 27 million possible, on-any-given-day carriers, with “antifa” declaring November 4th, as a ‘riot day’, I do believe that a ‘checkmate’ might occur.
Science January is my ‘ flavorite’ month. (Don’t you love auto correct?)
I agree with your assessment. The NRA has been pushing reciprocity and there are many senators and congressmen eager to push it. Just not the leadership.
“Which raises the question, “How many carry unloaded handguns?””
An unloaded gun is just a pretty rock.
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