WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Most U.S. adults surveyed by the Gallup organization oppose laws banning private possession of handguns but support stricter laws governing gun sales.
Sixty-three percent of the 1,012 adults over the age of 18 polled said they did not think there should be a law banning "the possession of handguns, except by the police and other authorized persons." Just 36 percent said there should be such a law.
Fifty-four percent of those surveyed Oct. 11-14, one month after the Clinton-era ban on the sale and ownership of certain types of so-called assault weapons expired, said laws covering the sales of firearms in the United States should be "more strict." Eleven percent said they should be "less strict" while 34 percent said the laws should remain as they are now.
Opinion was split, within the 3 point error margin, as to whether having a gun in the home made things less safe. Forty-six percent said that having a gun in the home made the environment "more dangerous" while 42 percent it made the home "safer." Ten percent said it "depends" on the circumstance.
