Interesting results from Harris Poll on guns

[mack]

Just read an interesting Harris Poll on guns - which contained some surprising results and some not so surprising results.

You should be able to find it here:

http://www.itnewsonline.com/showprnstory.php?storyid=106072


What I found most interesting was that more people supported open carry than supported concealed carry - 50 percent supported open carry and 45 percent concealed carry. Also pleased to see that so many supported the bearing of arms, higher percentages than I would have thought.

Also interesting that only 17 percent or less than one in five report owning semi-automatics - would think that would be higher given that they have been around almost a century now and the high percentage of handgun owners now - with most new handguns being semi-automatic and with sales showing more semi-automatic handguns being sold than revolvers and with AR type rifles selling better now than any other model - makes me wonder if a sizable percentage of even gun owners don't know what a semi-automatic is - is the term being confused with fully automatic?

The sad part of the poll is the vast majorities that support banning individuals on the terrorist watch list from buying guns - 92 and 87 percent - one hopes these percentages will drop significantly with education.

The number of households that own guns is probably off the mark - 32 percent said yes - 56 percent said no - and 11 percent declined to answer. My belief is that given the number of gun owners who will not openly acknowledge gun ownership - that a sizable percentage of the no answers and an even greater number of the declined to answer respondents do own guns - meaning probably more than half of households do have guns.

Lastly I found the findings on the whether the Second Amendment protects an individual right to be disingenous - they state that 43 percent believe that it supports an individual right vs 13 percent who believe that it supports a states right to form a militia - but 31 percent believe that it protects both - which in actuallity means that 74 percent believe that it does support an individual right.

 

[jfh]

Well, there are several issues at work here, mack--not the least of which is that Harris is a Democrat polling operation. So, it is important to know both the exact questions asked and the population polled.

Jim H.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

Automatics > Century

. . . they [automatics] have been around almost a century now . . .

Longer, actually.

The famous and favorite "benchmark" pistol, the 1911, was actually submitted in 1906.

Between then, and the adoption of the "1911," Browning released the 1906 FN Browning Vest Pocket (actually patented in Belgium in 1905), also known as the 1908 Colt.
-&-

And, of course, there were autopistols prior to 1900.

Staying with Browning, this site here recites his early patents as:

Browning’s first pistol patent was filed on 14 September 1895 and was followed just over a year later by three more pistol patents filed on 31 October 1896. All four U.S. patents were granted on 20 April 1897, having been given successive numbers:

• #580,923, for an automatic pistol that was never manufactured, but various elements of which appeared in later Browning pistols;
• #580,924, for a design which became the Colt Automatic Pistol of 1900;
• #580,925, for an automatic pistol with a rotating barrel locked breech design and a grip safety, which was never manufactured;
• #580,926, for the design which became the 1900 FN Browning.

In subsequent years Browning was granted further important U.S. pistol patents:

• #708,794 on 9 September 1902, for improvements which were applied to the 1902 Colt Automatic Pistol in .38 caliber;
• #747,585 on 22 December 1903, for the 1903 Colt Pocket Pistol in .32 caliber and the 1903 FN Browning in 9mm Browning Long;
• #808,003 on 19 December 1905, for various improvements which were applied to the 1905 Colt .45 auto;
• #818,739 on 24 April 1906, for another rotating barrel locked breech system which was never manufactured;
• #984,519 on 14 February 1911, for the 1911 Colt
  Government Model.

 

[mack]

Yes, more than a century now. I have been arguing the for the RKBA and against gun control so long - politically active on the issue since the 80's that I guess it now has been over a century. Don't get old.