Two-Thirds Of Americans Believe Record Gun Sales Are For Self-Defense, Not Crime

posted on August 5, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

A new Rasmussen poll reveals that a whopping 66 percent of respondents believe Americans are buying guns at a record pace for self-defense, and only 5 percent believe they are buying them to commit criminal acts.

“Most Americans remain unconcerned about their safety around those who have legal permits to carry concealed weapons,” the report added. A full 40 percent say the presence of more Americans with concealed weapons will decrease the number of people killed in violent incidents, versus 31 percent who believe it would increase them. 

In addition, only 28 percent of respondents trust the federal government to fairly enforce gun laws. In the long run, it seems lawful Americans want to keep guns out of the hands of criminals … but they have little faith in politicians and bureaucrats who wish to whittle away at the Second Amendment in the name of “public safety.”

Latest

Screenshot 2026 02 20 At 11.38.22 AM
Screenshot 2026 02 20 At 11.38.22 AM

Ryan Petty Explains How to Stop Possible School Shooters

After Ryan Petty lost his 14-year-old daughter, Alaina, to a 19-year-old mass murderer in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 in Parkland, Fla., he wanted to know what happened. Most of all, he wanted to find the holes in the system to, as best we can, stop such horrors long before they occur.

Another Example of What Actual Free Speech Does for the Second Amendment

This is the sort of truth bombing X can now give us—thanks to Elon Musk’s purchase of the social-media site—if we are discerning about who we follow and take the time to be cautious about what we believe.

Hawaii Wants to Go Further Than Mere “Aloha Spirit” in Defiance of Citizens’ Rights

Within weeks of the U.S. Supreme Court’s hearing oral arguments in Wolford v. Lopez, Hawaii lawmakers are moving on legislation to find other ways to keep citizens’ Second Amendment rights effectively off-limits.

The DOJ Civil Rights Division Strikes Again

In a poignant rebuke of the Massachusetts handgun roster, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in the case Granata v. Campbell.

Armed Citizen Interview: NYC Homeowner

Moshe Borukh heard glass breaking downstairs in his Jamaica Estates home in Queens, N.Y., around 2:40 a.m. Borukh grabbed his pistol and investigated. He soon discovered that a man was inside his home.

Why Did This NFL Offensive Tackle Get Arrested in NYC?

Rasheed Walker thought he was following the law when he declared he had an unloaded Glock 9 mm pistol in a locked case to a Delta Air Lines employee at LaGuardia Airport in New York City on January 23.

Interests



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.