Firearm Owner Identities and Storage Practices: Responsible Owners or Responsible Actions?

Abstract

Many firearm owners perceive themselves as being responsible gun owners, yet a large proportion of owners do not store their firearms in a manner that public health and injury prevention professionals often define as responsible: locked, unloaded, separate from ammunition. This reflects a potential disconnect between firearm owners and health practitioners in their definitions of responsible actions. To understand this disconnect, this study explores the factors associated with firearm owners identifying as responsible, and examines if owners claiming responsible identities employ responsible (i.e., secure) methods of firearm storage. An anonymous online survey was administered to a sample of 1,161 U.S. adults in February 2023. Analyses examined the 380 current firearm owners (64% men; 77% White; mean age = 45.7 years). Forty-five percent of owners strongly agreed that gun ownership makes them feel responsible. Viewing guns as essential and important and owning for protection were all associated with such responsible identities. Threat appraisals were unrelated to responsible identities or firearm storage practices. Those feeling responsible were more likely to store firearms locked (59% vs. 45%), but no more or less likely to store unloaded. Firearm owners who identify as responsible report firearm storage practices that may not align fully with the “triple secure” storage method. These findings suggest that safe firearm storage screening and messaging efficacy may be enhanced when content addresses meanings of responsibility that extend beyond storing firearms unloaded, locked, and separate from ammunition.