Use of Gun Safes and Other Safe Storage Practices in the United States

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Through this survey, we aimed to more deeply understand the approaches participants are currently taking to secure their weapons, what new methods of gun safety they may be willing to utilize, and what might motivate them to change their current behaviors.

We included questions in the February Omnibus survey of the Ipsos Knowledge Panel. A total of 1,017 respondents, with representation from all 50 states, completed the survey. For this analysis, we restricted our sample to all participants who own or have access to a firearm (n=363, or 34.3% of all respondents).

Who is Using a Gun Safe, Case, or Lock Box?

Among all participants who had access to a firearm, 59.1% reported use of a gun case, safe, or lockbox.

Those that were statistically most likely to practice safe storage using a gun safe, case, or lockbox were:

• Those with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
• Those with children under the age of 18 at home

Those that were statistically least likely to practice safe storage using a gun safe, case, or lockbox were:

• Those over the age of 60
• Those in buildings with 2+ apartments
• Those who are widowed
• Those who report being currently unemployed

However, we did find that the likelihood of utilizing this storage method does not vary by sex, political affiliation, urbanicity, race/ethnicity, income level, or geographical region.

How does frequency of carrying a firearm relate to the use of a gun safe, case, or lockbox?

We do see a general trend that as the frequency of carrying increases, so does the likelihood of using a gun safe, case, or lockbox. Those who do not carry report use of a gun safe, case or lockbox at a rate of 54%. That increases as carrying frequency increases from almost never, to yearly, monthly and weekly (58.6%, 61.7%, 68.1% and 77.4% respectively). The exception to that trend is when participants indicate they carry daily, where we see the likelihood of gun safe, case or lockbox use decrease back to 64%.

What other storage means do you use and what would you be willing to use?

Particularly for those participants that do not report using gun safes, cases, and lockboxes; we explored what alternatives they are currently using or they may be willing to consider.

• The most commonly reported secondary safety measures were keeping all firearms unloaded, locking up ammunition separate from firearms, and the use of a trigger or cable lock.
• While motion alarms for gun access are not currently easily found on the market, between 12 and 17% of participants indicate a willingness to use one. The instances of sensors for self-aiming or close range were less commonly accepted (between 5 and 7%).
• Participants were least willing to disassemble firearms and store parts separately and to entrust keys or firearm parts to a trusted person or organization.

What would motivate you to lock up your firearms?

50% of participants who own firearms somewhat or strongly agreed that they plan to always keep at least one firearm unlocked, and none of the listed options were motivations for changes in gun safety behavior.

Of participants who do not currently report the use of a gun safe, case, or lockbox, the most likely scenarios to influence a change in behavior were if someone in the home was struggling with mental or physical health (~95% somewhat or strongly agree) and if they had kids at home (~93% somewhat or strongly agree).