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Table 2 Principles underlying gun owners’ opinion on gun safety policies

From: Gun owners’ assessment of gun safety policy: their underlying principles and detailed opinions

Principle

Overall (%)

Gender

Age group (years)

Political affiliation

Male (%)

Female (%)

18–29 (%)

30–44 (%)

45–59 (%)

60 + (%)

Democrat (%)

Independent (%)

Republican (%)

People convicted of a violent crime should not be able to purchase or possess a gun

80.7 (77.6–83.6)

81.0

79.3

72.6

78.2

80.8

86.9

82.4

70.6

83.3

One of the primary goals of gun laws should be to keep guns out of the hands of people who are at high risk of violence, while allowing law-abiding citizens to obtain guns

80.5 (77.2–83.3)

79.0

82.3

67.4

81.3

77.5

88.6

86.0

67.7

81.4

Owning a gun for self-defense is a fundamental constitutional right

82.9 (79.7–85.6)

85.8

79.2

68.4

83.6

86.6

86.5

71.2

69.1

95.3

The right to own a gun is absolute and cannot be altered in any way

36.5 (32.9–40.2)

41.4

30.4

32.8

32.9

40.4

38.3

22.3

31.6

47.5

Like free speech, the right to own a gun is constitutionally protected, but there are exceptions to this right

77 (73.6–80.1)

79.0

74.4

67.7

72.0

79.7

83.7

78.0

60.5

82.3

I am concerned about the increase in gun-related homicides and gun crimes in cities

65.5 (61.7–69.1)

63.8

67.5

49.6

54.3

66.0

82.4

79.8

49.2

61.7

I am concerned about the frequency of mass shootings

71.2 (67.5–74.6)

68.2

74.9

53.6

67.0

71.9

83.0

88.3

60.3

63.7

I am concerned about the frequency of school shootings

74.6 (71.0–78.0)

72.7

77.1

54.4

71.8

75.6

86.3

89.7

66.1

67.8

I want to help find a way to reduce gun deaths and injuries

70.1 (66.3–73.6)

67.7

73.1

56.8

69.0

71.2

76.8

85.4

58.4

64.1