52% of Republican gun owners surveyed also said they were interested in purchasing a smart gun
WASHINGTON, DC, Apr. 26, 2023 – Premise today announced the results of a poll conducted to gauge public opinion about biometric smart guns, also known as personalized firearms, which are designed to only fire for authorized users. Recent research shows that firearm-related accidents, homicides, and suicides are now the leading cause of death for American children, and smart guns have been offered as a potential solution for reducing accidents and suicides among children and teens.
The poll surveyed American adults who: are firearm owners themselves, live in a household with a gun owner, are open to owning a firearm in the future, or have owned a firearm in the past.
Respondents overall expressed a strong openness to purchasing a biometric smart firearm that unlocks using fingerprint or facial-recognition technology:
- 60% of gun owners, 58% of those who personally carry a loaded firearm, 54% of those living in a household with guns, and 60% of those who have owned a firearm in the past or are open to owning a firearm in the future, all said they were interested in purchasing a smart gun.
- 52% of Republican gun owners included in this survey said they were somewhat interested or very interested in purchasing a smart gun.
Many respondents support the development of smart guns:
- 75% of firearm owners, those open to owning a firearm in the future, and those who have owned a firearm in the past support the development of smart guns. 65% of those who personally carry a loaded firearm also support the development of smart guns.
- 2 out of 3 respondents who believe that the United States should have greater freedom around gun ownership and usage support the development of smart guns.
- A majority of Republican gun owners (64%) included in this survey somewhat or strongly support the development of smart guns.
Among those who report living in households in which at least one firearm is generally accessible and loaded:
- 48% say that children live in their households.
- 70% are interested in learning more about a firearm that uses biometrics to unlock only for pre-authorized users.
- 68% support the development of smart guns.
For full cross-tabulations, see here.
About Premise
Premise, the innovative platform that democratizes the way data is sourced, analyzed, and applied, recently surveyed, is an on-demand insights company. Its technology mobilizes communities of global smartphone users to source actionable data in real-time, cost-effectively, and with needed visibility. In more than 140 countries and 37 languages, Premise finds Data for Every Decision™. To learn more, please visit www.premise.com.
Methodology
These results are based on responses from 2,757 Americans collected between March 20th and March 25th via the Premise smartphone application. Premise collected this sample through stratified sampling of its opt-in panel.