Gun Ownership Declines in U.S., Not on Gulf Coast

A major U.S. trend survey finds that the number of Americans who live in a household with at least one gun is lower than it’s ever been. That decline is paralleled by a reduction in the number of Americans who hunt.

According to the latest General Social Survey, 32% of Americans either own a firearm themselves or live with someone who does, which ties a record low set in 2010. That’s a significant decline since the late 1970s and early 1980s, when about half of Americans reported a gun in their household.

The General Social Survey is conducted by an independent research organization based at the University of Chicago, with money from the National Science Foundation. While ownership has been declining across the nation, that trend in general isn’t reflected on the Coast.

Kevin Riley of Dad’s Super Pawn says, “You couldn’t prove it by us. At Dad’s Super Pawn, we’re one of the largest dealers in the country, not just in the state, so we couldn’t prove that statistic by us, although I did just come back from meeting with some of the largest dealers in the country. Spent a week with all these guys and overall across the country, gun sales have been down over the past year.”

Riley also adds that hunting is booming in Mississippi and the tri-state area, which is another reason why the Coast hasn’t been affected by this national trend.