As it turns out, more and more Americans seem to be packing heat these days.
According to an NBC News national poll, more than half of American voters (52%) say someone in their household owns a gun. That is the highest share of voters in the history of the poll.
In 2019, 46% of Americans said that they or someone in their household owned a gun, and in February 2013, that share was 42%.
The poll found that gun owners fall along partisan lines, and that the numbers have gone up in each party, with Republicans leading the pack.
According to the poll, 66% of Republican voters surveyed say that they or someone in their household owns a gun, compared to 45% of independents and 41% of Democrats who say the same.
When the same question was asked 10 years ago in February 2013, 55% of Republicans, 49% of independents and 30% of Democrats said they or someone in their household owns a gun.
Nearly 20 years ago, when the question was posed in March 2004, those numbers were 57% of Republicans, 41% of independents and 33% of Democrats.
The poll also found that gun ownership rates among Black voters have jumped in recent years compared to White voters.
Currently, 41% of Black voters and 56% of White voters say they or someone in their household owns a gun, according to the poll. Just four years ago when the question was asked in 2019, 24% of Black voters and 53% of White voters said the same.
While gun ownership rates have fluctuated, voters' attitudes about gun rights haven't really waivered. According to the poll, 48% say they're more concerned that the government will not do enough to regulate access to firearms, versus 47% who think the government will go too far in restricting gun rights.
"That one-point difference is consistent with past results on this question over the past decade," NBC noted.