Twice as many carrying handguns, UW study finds
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Open embedded content from datawrapper.dwcdn.netThe number of U.S. adult handgun owners carrying a loaded weapon almost doubled in a four-year period, according to a new study by the University of Washington.
Driving the news: The study, published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health, found that 6 million adults reported carrying a handgun daily in 2019, up from 3 million in 2015.
Why it matters: There has been very little hard data related to who is carrying handguns and why, said one of the UW study's lead authors, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar.
- In fact, federal funding for research on guns, gun ownership or injury prevention has been virtually nonexistent for more than two decades.
- That began changing in 2018, when Congress clarified that the 1996 ban on research advocating or promoting gun control did not include research on gun violence.
By the numbers: The majority of people who carry loaded weapons, seven of 10, said they do so as protection against other people.
- Approximately 16 million adult handgun owners reported carrying a loaded weapon at least once in a given month, compared to 9 million in 2015.
- The total number of adults owning handguns increased from 38 million in 2015 to 53 million in 2019.
Yes, and: The study found state regulations appear to impact those numbers, with a smaller proportion of handgun owners carrying in states that have more restrictive regulations.
- In less restrictive states — also called "shall issue" or "must issue" states — authorities have little discretion over whether to issue concealed carry permits.
- In more restrictive or "may issue" states, authorities have some discretion.
- Washington is a less restrictive or "shall issue" state and required to furnish a permit to people who pass a background check.
The big picture: According to the Annals of Internal Medicine, there were an estimated 62 million handgun owners in the U.S. in 2021. Among them, 7.5 million purchased a gun for the first time between 2019 and 2021.
- Concealed carry permits increased by 2.3% in 2022 compared to last year even though nearly half the states enacted constitutional carry laws, according to a report published by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC). Those laws say Americans don't need to get a government permit to carry firearms.
- The number of concealed handgun permits stands at 22.01 million this year.
What we're watching: "The next step is to ask what is the impact on public health and public safety when guns are easier to carry," Rowhani-Rahbar told Axios. "In a situation where you have a fight, do they contribute to the escalation and make it more lethal?"