# Four in ten say widespread gun ownership makes society less safe

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/politics/four-in-ten-say-widespread-gun-ownership-makes-society-less-safe/

> Indexed question in Politics.

## Reading

Verasight surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults from September 25 to 30, 2026. 43.4% of Americans say widespread private gun ownership makes society less safe, while 31.5% say it makes it safer. Another 25.1% say it makes no difference.

Strong views sit at both ends: 23.0% say gun ownership makes society much less safe and 14.6% much more safe. The question asks about widespread private ownership, not about any specific gun law.

## Topline

Overall, how do you think widespread private ownership of guns affects public safety in the United States?

Four in ten say widespread gun ownership makes society less safe.

- Makes society neither more nor less safe: 25.1%
- Makes society much less safe: 23.0%
- Makes society much more safe: 14.6%
- Makes society somewhat less safe: 11.5%
- Makes society somewhat more safe: 9.1%
- Makes society slightly less safe: 8.9%
- Makes society slightly more safe: 7.8%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-09-25 → 2026-09-30
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.3%
- Module: Society, Culture, & Identity
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-153-apsa-omnibus-report#q-78](https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-153-apsa-omnibus-report#q-78)

## Citation

APSA Omnibus Survey #2026-153, fielded September 25-30, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-153-apsa-omnibus-report#q-78](https://reports.verasight.io/r/2026-153-apsa-omnibus-report#q-78)