More gun owners in the U.S. say they have their firearms to protect themselves against crime, according to a new survey.
The Gallup poll found that 88 percent of gun owners said that they own their weapon for crime protection, an increase of more than 20 points from the 67 percent who listed the reason in 2005.
The survey giant also found that the percentages of gun owners who say they use their weapons for purposes like target shooting or hunting have remained relatively static over the years.
