The number of handgun owners carrying firearms daily has doubled in recent years.
According to the American Journal of Public Health, an estimated 6 million people carried a handgun daily in 2019 in the U.S., up from the estimated 3 million in 2015.
The study took data from the National Firearms Survey (NFS) in 2015 to Ipsos' Knowledge Panel, an online sampling frame of 55,000 adults, with 2,389 households reporting they owned a handgun in 2019. Among those who chose to carry a handgun less frequently, like a month, there was an estimated increase of 7 million in 2019.
The American Journal of Public Health noted that gun carriers who "shifted from hunting and sports shooting towards personal protection" represented 46%.
"As personal protection became the predominant motivation for owning firearms, handgun ownership increased disproportionately from 64% in 1994 to 83% in 2021."
A full 72% of respondents said they carried a handgun for personal protection. The survey also found fewer handgun owners carried their handguns in states where authorities held "substantial discretion in granting permits."
The study reported a 95% confidence interval.
This past summer, the Supreme Court ruled that states cannot require gun owners to provide a justification when applying for a concealed carry permit, striking down New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen.
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