65 million people have the same reason for owning guns — they don’t feel safe in America

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In recent years, the landscape of gun ownership in the United States has undergone a significant transformation. A new study reveals that protection has become the dominant reason why Americans own firearms, surpassing traditional motivations like hunting or sport shooting. This shift is reshaping not only why people own guns but also who owns them, with more women and racial minorities joining the ranks of gun owners.

The research, conducted in 2023 and published in the journal Injury Prevention, paints a picture of a nation where nearly 80% of gun owners cite protection as their primary reason for possessing a firearm. This translates to an estimated 65 million Americans owning guns for self-defense purposes – a number that has been steadily climbing over the past two decades.

What’s driving this change? The study suggests that a combination of factors, including evolving societal attitudes, changing laws, and a sense of uncertainty about personal safety, may be contributing to this trend.

One of the most striking findings is the changing demographics of gun owners. Traditionally, gun ownership in the U.S. has been associated with White males, often for recreational purposes like hunting. However, the new data shows that women and racial minorities are increasingly likely to own firearms, almost exclusively for protection. For instance, the study found that nearly 99% of Black and Asian women who own guns do so for self-defense.

This shift isn’t just changing who owns guns but also how they’re used. The research indicates that gun owners motivated by protection are more likely to carry their firearms outside the home. This behavior is particularly prevalent in states with “Stand Your Ground” (SYG) laws, which allow individuals to use deadly force in self-defense without first attempting to retreat from a dangerous situation.

“SYG laws specifically affect the legal right to use deadly force for self-defense in public places, and therefore, increased firearm carriage might be a mechanism by which states with SYG laws have contributed to higher rates of firearm violence,” the researchers suggest in a media release.

The study also delves into the psychological factors that might be influencing this trend. Interestingly, it found that a general feeling of distrust in society – not knowing who to rely on – was more closely associated with owning guns for protection than actual experiences of gun violence.

This changing landscape of gun ownership presents new challenges and considerations for policymakers and public health officials. As the motivations and demographics of gun owners evolve, researchers say so too must the approaches to gun safety and violence prevention.

The team from the University of Michigan emphasizes the need for ongoing monitoring of these trends and adaptive policies that ensure safe gun ownership practices across all segments of the population. They argue that understanding these shifts is crucial for developing effective strategies to address gun violence while respecting the rights of gun owners.

“The simultaneous relaxing of concealed carry laws and strengthening self-defense laws may be reinforcing firearm behaviors for protection, particularly carriage in public places,” the team concludes. “Rising rates of firearm ownership among non-traditional firearm-owning groups, particularly members of historically marginalized populations, may reflect a growing desire to protect against external threats, such as hate crimes.”