I find the 78% favoring registration the most worrying of the poll responses. This means that significant numbers of gun owners most likely support that if the poll data is correct.
(taken from this thread:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=511709 )
In reference to this link:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=511709
Before putting any faith in those polls, look at where those numbers come from.
Here's the link to one mentioned:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/polls/postabcpoll_20121216.html
Here's the actual questions asked & answers on the topic of guns:
"QUESTIONS 28 TO 31 BASED ON 602 INTERVIEWS DEC. 14-16. ERROR MARGIN=4.5 POINTS.
28. On another subject: Do you favor or oppose stricter gun control laws in this country?
----------- Favor -------- ---------- Oppose ------- No
NET Strongly Somewhat NET Somewhat Strongly opinion
12/16/12 54 44 10 43 11 32 3
8/5/12** 51 39 11 47 10 37 2
1/16/11 52 39 13 45 12 33 3
4/24/09 51 36 14 48 12 36 1
9/7/08 RV 50 31 19 45 14 30 5
4/22/07 61 41 20 36 12 23 3
10/8/06 61 45 16 37 15 22 2
5/12/02 57 39 19 37 15 22 6
1/15/01 59 46 13 39 13 26 2
5/10/00 67 50 17 30 9 22 3
4/2/00 64 49 14 34 13 21 2
9/2/99 63 52 11 35 11 25 2
8/15/99 63 46 16 34 12 22 3
5/16/99 67 55 12 31 10 21 1
10/13/93* 64 40 24 33 13 20 3
6/8/89* 60 28 32 34 11 23 6
**Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation
*Gallup trend: "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose, or strongly oppose enacting tougher gun control laws?"
29. Would you support or oppose a law requiring a nationwide ban on [ITEM]?
12/16/12 - Summary Table
----- Support ----- ------ Oppose ----- No
NET Strg. Smwt. NET Smwt. Strg. opin.
a. Semi-automatic handguns,
which automatically
re-load every time the
trigger is pulled 52 42 11 44 11 34 3
b. The sale of handguns,
except to law
enforcement officers 27 20 7 71 15 56 2
c. High-capacity
ammunition clips,
meaning those containing
more than 10 bullets 59 47 12 38 9 29 2
Trend where available:
a. Semi-automatic handguns, which automatically re-load every time the trigger is pulled
--------- Support -------- ---------- Oppose ------- No
NET Strongly Somewhat NET Somewhat Strongly opinion
12/16/12 52 42 11 44 11 34 3
1/16/11 48 39 9 50 12 37 2
4/22/07 55 46 9 41 9 32 3
b. The sale of handguns, except to law enforcement officers
--------- Support -------- ---------- Oppose ------- No
NET Strongly Somewhat NET Somewhat Strongly opinion
12/16/12 27 20 7 71 15 56 2
1/16/11 31 23 8 67 14 54 2
4/22/07 38 28 9 60 17 42 3
5/10/00 38 26 12 59 16 43 3
9/2/99 32 23 9 65 18 47 3
c. High-capacity ammunition clips, meaning those containing more than 10 bullets
--------- Support -------- ---------- Oppose ------- No
NET Strongly Somewhat NET Somewhat Strongly opinion
12/16/12 59 47 12 38 9 29 2
1/16/11 57 46 11 39 10 29 3
30. What do you think is the best way to reduce gun violence in this country - (by passing stricter gun control laws), or (by stricter enforcement of existing laws)?
Passing Enforcing Both Neither No
new laws existing laws (vol.) (vol.) opinion
12/16/12 32 49 8 7 3
1/16/11 29 57 5 7 2
4/24/09 27 61 5 4 2
4/22/07 29 52 9 8 1
4/2/00 33 53 7 5 2
31. Thinking about the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school: Do you think this shooting reflects broader problems in American society, or are things like this just the isolated acts of troubled individuals?
Broader problems Isolated acts No opinion
12/16/12 52 43 5
7/29/12* 24 67 81/16/11 31 58 12
4/22/07 46 47 7
*July 2012 and previous: Pew Research Center. July, 2012 about “Shooting in Colorado”;
January, 2011 asked about “Shooting in Tucson, Arizona”; April, 2007 question asked
about shooting at Virginia Tech University. "
What I highlighted above is something the linked table in the linked article failed to include - the huge change in that catagory in the last 6 months...