--- description: More than half of all Americans say they believe gun laws should be stricter than they are now, a significant rise over previous years title: Gallup Poll: Stricter Gun Control Measures Get More Support image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfc5294882a85c093/698868db428a9e4669ccfae8/gun-control1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # More Americans Want Stricter Gun Laws, Poll Finds by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 19, 2015 2:41 PM CUT  People look at handguns as thousands of customers and hundreds of dealers sell, show, and buy guns and other items during The Nation's Gun Show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA, on October 03, 2015. People look at handguns as thousands of customers and hundreds of dealers sell, show, and buy guns and other items during The Nation's Gun Show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA, on October 03, 2015.The Washington Post/Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 19, 2015 2:41 PM CUT More than [half of all Americans](http://www.gallup.com/poll/186236/americans-desire-stricter-gun-laws-sharply.aspx "undefined") say they believe gun laws should be stricter than they are now, a significant rise over previous years as gun safety becomes a central issue in the 2016 presidential race in the wake of a string of mass shootings. According to a [Gallup poll](http://www.gallup.com/poll/186236/americans-desire-stricter-gun-laws-sharply.aspx "undefined"), 55% of Americans say gun laws should be stricter, a rise of eight percentage points over last year and the highest since immediately after the Sandy Hook shooting when 58% wanted stricter gun laws. One-third, or 33% say that gun laws should be kept as they are. Over a third (36%) of gun owners want stricter gun control. Three in four Democrats (77%) agree, while just 27% of Republicans favor stricter gun laws. Gun control advocates have become increasingly outspoken in recent years, particularly since the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting when 20 children were murdered at an elementary school. A bill that would have strengthened background checks stalled in Congress in the aftermath of the shooting, angering advocates. Hillary Clinton has made gun control a central issue of her campaign, calling for a “national movement” to take on the National Rifle Association. Most Republicans in the 2016 race, meanwhile have called for strengthening mental health checks. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4078024/gun-safety-gallup-poll-america/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4078024/gun-safety-gallup-poll-america/"},"headline":"More Americans Want Stricter Gun Laws, Poll Finds","datePublished":"2015-10-19T14:41:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T11:53:43.724Z","description":"Gun control has become a major issue on the 2016 campaign trail","url":"https://time.com/4078024/gun-safety-gallup-poll-america/","keywords":["2016 Election topic","Crime","Gun Control","justice"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfc5294882a85c093/698868db428a9e4669ccfae8/gun-control1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sam Frizell","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfc5294882a85c093/698868db428a9e4669ccfae8/gun-control1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The Nation's Gun Show comes back to the Dulles Expo Center with the first major gun show in the area since the Oregon shooting. 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