Poll: Americans still favor background checks, assault weapons ban, gun magazine capacity limits

Meteor Blades

Daily Kos Staff Emeritus

Tuesday April 16, 2013 · 1:59 PM PDT

2013/04/16 · 13:59

no image description available — From the Washington Post/ABC poll taken April 11-14, 2013.

From the Washington Post/ABC poll taken April 11-14, 2013.

The latest Washington Post/ABC poll shows little deviation in American views about new gun legislation from what we've been seeing in other polls since the elementary school slaughter in Newtown, Connecticut, four months ago. Americans, the poll showed, still support changes that would tighten rules on owning firearms. By a small plurality, however, 49 percent to 45 percent, they disapprove of how President Obama is handling the matter.

The poll, which also inquired about views on immigration, budget cuts, jobs and the economy, included 13 questions on guns.

Among them:

• Would you support or oppose a law requiring a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons? 56 percent supported, 42 percent opposed.

• Would you support or oppose a law requiring a nationwide ban on high-capacity ammunition clips, meaning those containing more than 10 bullets? 56 percent support, 41 percent oppose.

• Would you support or oppose a law requiring background checks on people buying guns at gun shows or online? 86 percent support, 13 percent oppose.

• Say someone legally sells a gun that later is used in a crime. Do you think the crime victim should or should not be able to sue the gun seller for damages? 24 percent say they should be able to sue, 72 percent say they should not.

• Do you or does anyone in your house own a gun, or not? 43 percent say yes, 55 percent say no.

Please continue reading more gun questions and poll analysis below the fold.

• Do you think having a gun in the house makes it (a safer place to be) or (a more dangerous place to be)? 51 percent say safer, 29 percent say more dangerous.

• Have you ever given money to an organization involved in the gun control issue or not? 10 percent say they have, 90 percent say they have not.

• Thirty percent of those surveyed say they, relatives or close personal friends have been victims of a crime involving a gun.

Amendments to the basic gun bill introduced in the Senate before the spring recess will be voted on as the debate on that bill unfolds.

One with a meager amount of bipartisan support would require background checks for all firearms purchases at gun shows, on the internet or that are advertised in a public medium. A vote on that could happen as early as Wednesday. Despite that 86 percent support from the American public, however, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Vice President Joe Biden and the two senators who drafted the amendment—Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia—are still coming up short in their effort to obtain the 60 votes needed to overcome any potential Republican filibuster.

Amendments to ban assault weapons and set a limit on the capacity of ammunition magazines will also be offered. Both are DOA, despite the popular support for them.

The pollsters did not ask those surveyed their views of a possible Republican-sponsored amendment that would federalize rules on carrying concealed firearms. If passed, this would require states with strict permits in such matters to honor permits from states with lax requirements. It's something that's been high on the wish list of the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups for some time.

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Poll: Americans still favor background checks, assault weapons ban, gun magazine capacity limits

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