The American Public Health Association published the results of a study revealing the increase in the number of people carrying their handguns daily. The survey, which was published earlier this month, asked gun owners in 2019 “about their past-month handgun carrying behavior.”

From the report:

In 2019, about 16 million US adult handgun owners carried handguns in the past month (up from 9 million in 2015), and approximately 6 million did so daily (twice the 3 million who did so in 2015). Proportionally fewer handgun owners carried handguns in states where issuing authorities had substantial discretion in granting permits.

Researchers found that “reasons offered by firearm owners for why they own firearms have shifted from hunting and sports shooting toward personal protection.”

The authors noted:

In 1994, for example, 46% of firearm owners reported owning firearms for protection2; by 2015, that number had reached 65%,5 and, by 2019, it had reached 73%.6 As personal protection became the predominant motivation for owning firearms, handgun ownership increased disproportionately from 64% in 1994 to 83% in 2021.

It is worth pointing out that the study was conducted before the COVID-19 outbreak and the rising crime rates that followed.

The researchers also noted that this trend has “been accompanied by a loosening of state laws governing who can carry handguns in public places.”

What is also interesting about this data is that there were “no notable differences” in the number of people who carry in “permitless carry” states or “shall issue” states. However, fewer gun owners who resided in “may issue” states, in which there is no guarantee that one might be granted a license to carry even if they jump through all of the hoops, reported carrying handguns daily.

A recent Gallup poll showed that while most Americans still favor stricter gun laws, support for these measures has dropped considerably.

This is a good sign.

While the Biden administration and the anti-gunner lobby have been pushing their anti-gun agenda, it appears more people are waking up to the reality that they cannot rely on the government to protect them. It is being shown over and over again that restrictive gun laws don’t save lives. Furthermore, gun sales have gone through the roof over the past two years, especially among black and Latino Americans.

Perhaps this is why the White House is using executive power to make it harder for people to obtain firearms. Biden’s ATF is currently being sued by an Austin-based gun dealer because the agency has been shutting down firearm sellers over harmless clerical errors. The president has expressed hope that the current lame-duck Congress will pass another assault weapons ban in the wake of a series of mass shootings that America has seen in 2022. But it is unlikely that Democrats will be able to garner enough votes to enact such a measure.

This is another good thing. With Republicans set to take over the House of Representatives next year, it seems Democrats’ effort to curtail the right to bear arms will be stymied for the moment. Perhaps this trend will continue, and even more Americans will practice responsible gun ownership.

If more Americans have seen that they are responsible for their personal protection, this is an encouraging sign, given that firearms are more likely to be used to prevent crimes than to commit them. This means more people will be better equipped to safeguard their lives and their loved ones from bad actors, most of whom obtain their guns illegally.

It appears the Second Amendment is safe for right now. Hopefully, it stays that way.