Study Finds That Handgun Owners Embrace Responsibility Of Gun Ownership

By Tom Knighton

We like to say that gun owners are responsible people. We say it, but the anti-gun zealots don’t acknowledge it. They point to the anecdotal data of some moron doing something stupid, or they point to violent crime rates as evidence that we’re somehow all unhinged and just waiting to snap.

However, a study from Oregon State University found that gun owners really internalize the responsibility of handgun ownership.

In a study published today, Oregon State University researchers have identified ways that handgun owners attempt to mitigate those risks, including developing routines with their firearms, practicing target shooting and self-defense simulations and mentally rehearsing self-defense scenarios. The researchers conclude that while these efforts do decrease some risk, they can never fully prepare someone for the risks posed in an actual self-defense situation.

“In some ways, in the U.S., handguns for self-defense are like cars. They are consumer products that present certain risks to those who decide to use them, as well as to others,” said Michelle Barnhart, an associate professor in OSU’s College of Business and one of the study’s lead authors.

The study found that consumers who keep and sometimes carry handguns for self-defense attempt to minimize their risks in …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms