POLL: Americans Are Buying More Firearms For Self-Defense Purposes

According to a Rasmussen poll, 20% of American adults indicated that they or someone in their immediate family has purchased a firearm in the last year. 72% have not, but 8% are unsure. 

Americans purchased over 15 million firearms in 2023, per the National Shooting Sports Foundation. 49% of American adults believe it is too easy to purchase a gun in the United States today.

14% currently indicated it’s too hard to buy a gun, whereas 28% believe the level of difficulty is roughly adequate.

Of the individuals who said they or someone in their immediate family has purchased a firearm in the last year, just 36% believe it is too easy to purchase a gun in the US today.

65% of all American adults stated that the main reason the majority of people buy a firearm is for self-defense. Only 7% stated that the intent to carry out a criminal act is the principal reason most people purchase a firearm. 3% believe most individuals purchase a gun for job purposes and 17% indicated that some other reason propels most of their gun purchases.

77% of Republican voters, 58% of Democrat voters, and 63% of independent voters believe self-defense is the principal reason the majority of people purchase firearms. 

49% of white voters, 60% of black voters, 42% of Hispanic voters, and 39% of non-white minorities believe it’s too easy to purchase a firearm these days. 

58% of government workers and 45% of private sector workers believe it’s too easy to purchase a firearm in the US these days. Overall, Americans are buying firearms because they recognize that the US is experiencing a large degree of institutional decline as evidence by long police response times and the decline in security services 

At the end of the day, the best first responder against criminals is an armed law-abiding citizen.

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