And support goes much higher for a range of specific proposals, such as mandatory gun locks and background checks at gun shows. And only a third support an outright ban on the sale of handguns. No Men Women Dem. About half the public thinks the National Rifle Association has too much influence on this issue, compared with only 17 percent saying it has too little influence, unchanged from 1993. Those who don't own guns are much more likely to say the NRA has too much influence, whereas a plurality of gun owners think the NRA's influence is about right.
Men are more likely to own a gun for hunting, and women for protection.
2 among a random national sample of 1,526 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Nearly half the public thinks gun control wouldn't do anything to reduce violent crime. The Web Copyright 2000 ABC News Internet Ventures.