48% of Americans would like to see stricter gun control laws. But nearly as many (45%) want those laws either made less strict or remain unchanged.
There are some changes that get majority support: 85% believe those with mental illness should be prevented from owning guns, 74% favor a 5-day waiting period from the time of gun purchase to ownership, and 67% would support a national gun registry.
Those three items are the only ones that a majority of Republicans (who tend to oppose gun regulation) support. Nationally, 59% favor a ban on semi-automatic clips with more than ten rounds; 48% of Republicans support this. Majorities nationally would also favor requiring prospective gun owners to obtain a police permit. 52% would ban all semi-automatic weapons.
Do you favor or oppose the following gun control measures?
| Total | Republicans | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Preventing persons with a history of mental illness from owning guns | Favor | 85% | 88% |
Oppose | 4% | 4% | |
Not sure | 10% | 8% | |
Banning semi-automatic weapons | Favor | 52% | 42% |
Oppose | 31% | 45% | |
Not sure | 17% | 13% | |
Banning the sale of magazine clips for semi-automatic weapons that hold more than 10 rounds | Favor | 59% | 48% |
Oppose | 25% | 40% | |
Not sure | 16% | 12% | |
Requiring people who purchase handguns to wait five days before they receive that gun | Favor | 74% | 68% |
Oppose | 15% | 24% | |
Not sure | 11% | 8% | |
Requiring gun owners to register their guns with a national gun registry | Favor | 67% | 57% |
Oppose | 23% | 37% | |
Not sure | 10% | 6% | |
Requiring people to obtain a police permit before buying a handgun | Favor | 56% | 50% |
Oppose | 29% | 41% | |
Not sure | 15% | 9% | |
However, less than half the country supports other gun control measures: 44% would favor limiting the total number of handguns; 43% would outlaw carrying concealed weapons in public. Only 17% would ban all handguns, except for those issued to law enforcement officers.
And just about half of Americans believe that stricter gun control laws wouldn't have helped prevent the shootings; just 37% say they would have helped.
