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6 Key Facts About Americans and Guns

Tess DiNapoli
4 min readJan 18, 2023

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Photo by Kelli McClintock on Unsplash

The right to own firearms in America was ensured by our founding fathers after the fight for independence from the British Empire. This right was set forth in the Second Amendment and has been carried down through the generations. For many Americans, guns are the embodiment of our personal freedom. Because of our country’s history, we collectively own more guns than any other nation in the world. Here are six key facts about Americans and guns.

How Many Americans Own Guns

According to the 2021 National Firearms Survey, almost a third (31.9%) of adult Americans claim to own firearms. That’s about 81.4 million Americans. The average gun owner owns about five firearms, with handguns being the most popular type of weapon. That adds up to a ton of firearms throughout the country! Burglars should definitely think twice about breaking into the average American’s home.

How Law-Abiding Americans Use Guns

So we’ve established that a third of American households have firearms. But why do they want to own these weapons? The survey also found that one-third of gun owners have actively used a firearm for self or home defense, but they may not have actually fired the weapon under the circumstances. Handguns are by far the most popular weapon used in self-defense situations. The…

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Tess DiNapoli
Tess DiNapoli

Written by Tess DiNapoli

Tess DiNapoli is an artist, freelance writer, and content strategist. She has a passion for yoga and often writes about fitness & wellness, as well as fashion.

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