More in U.S. now want stricter gun laws

PRINCETON, N.J., Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Thirty-eight percent of Americans say they're dissatisfied with current gun laws, up from 25 percent a year ago, Gallup said Monday.

Even though dissatisfaction has risen, a greater number of Americans, said they were either satisfied with gun laws, 43 percent, or think they should be eased, 5 percent, results of the annual USA Today-Gallup Mood of the Nation survey indicated.

The increase in support for strengthening gun laws is consistent with a December Gallup poll conducted after a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.

Gallup's December poll on gun-law preferences found 58 percent of all Americans said gun laws should be stricter, up from 43 percent in 2011.

Results indicated most demographics are at least slightly more likely this year than in 2012 to say they are dissatisfied with gun laws and want them tightened.

Results are based on nationwide phone interviews with 1,011 adults conducted Jan. 7-10. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.