A new national survey commissioned by the Crime Prevention Research Center reports that nearly one-third of the general-election voters questioned carry a concealed handgun at least occasionally.
That is an interesting finding, and it suggests that concealed carry is becoming an increasingly normal part of American life. It also deserves to be reported accurately, because the numbers are impressive enough without stretching them.¹
McLaughlin & Associates surveyed 1,000 general-election voters on July 22, 2026.
Asked how often they carry a concealed handgun, 8.8% said all the time, 6.9% said most of the time, 9.4% said sometimes, and 5.8% said rarely. Added together, 30.9% reported carrying at least occasionally.
Another 66.6% said never, while 2.5% did not know or declined to answer.²
The trend is notable. The combined percentage saying they carried at least rarely was 24.3% in December 2024, 29.8% in May 2026, and 30.9% in July 2026.
That is an increase of 6.6 percentage points in about nineteen months.
The group carrying all or most of the time also rose, from 13.0% in December 2024 to 15.7% in July 2026.
Read the Number for What It Is
The headline number does not mean that 30.9% of all Americans are walking around armed every day.
First, the survey questioned general-election voters, not every American adult. Voters tend to be older and more politically engaged than the adult population as a whole.
Second, the 30.9% figure includes people who said they carry rarely. The better daily-or-nearly-daily figure is the 15.7% who said they carry all or most of the time.
There is another interesting wrinkle. Only 20.1% of those surveyed said they had a concealed-handgun permit, yet 30.9% reported carrying at least occasionally.
That is not necessarily evidence of unlawful carry. As of 2026, a majority of states allow permitless or “constitutional” carry for people who may lawfully possess a handgun. A person can therefore carry legally in many states without holding a government-issued permission slip.
As with any single opinion survey, we should not treat these results as holy writ. Survey answers depend on the sample, wording, method, and willingness of respondents to disclose gun-related behavior to a stranger.
The public topline identifies the pollster, date, and sample size, but it does not turn a survey into a physical count of armed citizens. The proper language is “the survey found,” not “we now know beyond dispute.”
Why the Trend Makes Sense
Concealed carry has expanded enormously during my years as an armed citizen. More states recognize out-of-state permits, more states issue permits on a shall-issue basis, and permitless carry has spread across much of the country.
At the same time, training, holsters, compact pistols, and access to reliable information have improved. Lawful citizens have more practical options for protecting themselves and their families than they did a generation ago.
The survey also cuts against the old caricature that concealed carriers are a tiny, strange fringe.
Even if the exact national percentage is open to debate, millions of Americans plainly make lawful carry part of their lives.
They go to work, buy groceries, take their families to dinner, and come home without incident. That lack of drama is precisely why the news media seldom notice them.
For Nevada gun owners, the lesson is not merely to carry. It is to carry responsibly.
Know Nevada law and the law of every jurisdiction you visit. Use a proper holster. Maintain control of your firearm. Train beyond the minimum needed for a permit. Understand when deadly force is—and is not—legally justified.
The First Rule of Gun-fighting remains: Have a gun. The rules immediately following it should include knowing how, when, and whether to use it.
The growth of concealed carry is good news, but rights and responsibility travel together.
Every safe, sober, law-abiding carrier helps demonstrate that ordinary citizens can be trusted with the means to defend themselves.
¹ Crime Prevention Research Center, “New Survey on the Rate that People Carry Concealed Handguns,” July 27, 2026, https://crimeresearch.org/2026/07/new-survey-on-the-rate-that-people-carry-concealed-handguns-percent-of-americans-carrying-continues-to-increase-from-24-3-in-december-2024-to-29-8-in-may-2026-to-30-9-in-july-2026/ (accessed August 18, 2026).
² McLaughlin & Associates, National – Crime Prevention Research Center, General Election Voters, N=1,000, July 22, 2026, topline results, https://crimeresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/National-Topline-CPRC-07-22-26.pdf (accessed August 18, 2026).
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