Line Chart: 33% of Democrats and 6% of Republicans say there should be a law banning handgun possession.
The Data: The recent decline in Americans' support for banning handguns is largely owed to Democrats, whose backing has fallen by 16 percentage points since 2023 to 33% — a new low — after the group showed increasing support for a ban during the previous two years.
The Trend: Support for banning the ownership of handguns by unauthorized people peaked at 60% in 1959, the initial reading. Since then, support has never risen to the majority level and has been consistently below 30% since 2008, including 2024's near-record low of 20%.
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