Reasons for Gun Ownership Among Demographically Diverse New and Prior Gun Owners

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Pandemic-era social and political tensions may have accelerated pre-existing trends in gun owner diversification and shifts toward protection from people as a primary reason for gun ownership. Specific ownership motivations may shape storage behaviors, use patterns, policy support, and perceptions of safety. This study's objective was to assess the importance of specific reasons for owning guns, including protection from whom and in what circumstances, among demographic subgroups of new and prior gun owners. METHODS: From January 4, 2023 to February 6, 2023, the National Survey of Gun Policy was fielded among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (N=3,096), including gun owners (n=1,002). Respondents rated the importance of 10 potential reasons for gun ownership, including at-home protection, out-of-home protection, protection in ideologic conflict, and hunting or recreation. In 2023-2024, respondents' self-report of important and highly important reasons for gun ownership were compared across political affiliation, race, ethnicity, age, sex, location, income, education, and recency of first purchase. RESULTS: Majorities of gun owners from all demographic groups cited at-home protection, out-of-home protection, and hunting or recreation as very or extremely important. At least 10% of every demographic group endorsed at least 1 ideologic reason as extremely important. Newer gun owners more frequently endorsed multiple important reasons. CONCLUSIONS: Concurrent, strongly held motivations may produce ambivalence or resistance to public health messaging that narrowly focuses on preventing violent firearm-related injury. Permissive firearm policies may compound behavioral ambivalence, exacerbating conditions that threaten collective safety and civic expression. These conditions call for more nuanced, multidimensional, societal efforts to assure collective safety.

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