A Response to Critics of the 2021 National Firearms Survey
By William English
Publication Date
November 25, 2024
Keywords
Defensive Gun Use, Firearm Ownership, Law and Economics, Scholarship
Abstract
This paper responds to criticisms of the 2021 National Firearms Survey recently voiced by Azrael et al. (2024) and others, arguing that these criticisms are largely unpersuasive or mistaken, while also being immaterial to the survey’s main findings. This response establishes that the survey was highly representative of the U.S. population, with survey weights having a minimal effect on the results, and that the results closely match independent surveys conducted by Pew, Gallup, and the Small Arms Survey. Moreover, this paper explains how the National Firearms Survey was designed to overcome well-documented methodological shortcomings with prior scholarly research, providing additional support for the findings. Overall, the quality of the criticisms made of the survey only provides more reason to conclude that the survey constitutes an authoritative contribution to our understanding of firearm ownership and use in the United States.
Recommended Citation
William English, A Response to Critics of the 2021 National Firearms Survey (Firearms Rsch. Ctr., Working Paper No. 2024-5).
