Copyright 2013

CAP-Online Survey of Veterans on Guns

April 2 - 4, 2013
5278

804 Interviews
Margin of Error: +/- 3.5%

QS1. What state do you live in?

Northeast .....................................................................................................
15%
West ............................................................................................................
21
South ...........................................................................................................
43
Midwest .......................................................................................................
20

QS2. Are you currently registered to vote in [INSERT STATE]?

Yes ..............................................................................................................
100%
No ................................................................................................................
Not sure .......................................................................................................
-

QP. In politics today do you think of yourself as

Strong Democrat .........................................................................................

17%
Weak Democrat ...........................................................................................
9
Independent / Closer to the Democrats.......................................................
10
Independent.................................................................................................
14
Independent / Closer to the Republicans ....................................................
17
Weak Republican ........................................................................................
13
Strong Republican .......................................................................................
20

DEMOCRAT (NET) .....................................................................................

26%
INDEPENDENT (NET) ................................................................................
40
REPUBLICAN (NET) ...................................................................................
34

DEMOCRAT W/ LEANERS (NET) ..............................................................

36%
REPUBLICAN W/ LEANERS (NET) ............................................................
50

QS3.

What are the chances that you will vote in the election next
November for U.S. Congress?

Absolutely certain to vote ............................................................................

78%
Quite likely to vote .......................................................................................
15
Just somewhat likely to vote ........................................................................
4
Not likely to vote ..........................................................................................
2

Q1.

Are you currently on active duty, a drilling Reservist or National

Guardsmen, in the I.R.R., retired from service or separated from service?

Active Duty ..................................................................................................

*
National Guard or Reserve ..........................................................................
1
IRR ..............................................................................................................
2
Retired .........................................................................................................
22
Separated ....................................................................................................
75

Q2. In which branch of the military did you serve?

Army ............................................................................................................
45%
Navy ............................................................................................................
24
Marines ........................................................................................................
10
Air Force ......................................................................................................
19
Coast Guard ................................................................................................
2
Did not serve in the military .........................................................................
-

Q3.

Were you an enlisted member of the military or a commissioned

officer?

Enlisted ........................................................................................................
91%
Commissioned Officer .................................................................................
9

Did you have to pass a criminal background test at the

Military Entrance Processing Station [MEPS] before heading to basic
training?

Yes ..............................................................................................................
65%
No ................................................................................................................
35

Did you have to pass a background check

Yes ..............................................................................................................
96%
No ................................................................................................................
4

During your time in the military, did you serve in combat theater or an
overseas contingency operation?

Yes ..............................................................................................................
51%
No ................................................................................................................
49

Are you a veteran of either the Iraq War or the

Yes, Iraq ......................................................................................................

13%
Yes, Afghanistan .........................................................................................
1
Yes, Both .....................................................................................................
4
No ................................................................................................................
83

Q4. [IF ENLISTED]

Q5. [IF COMMISSIONED OFFICER]

for security clearance?

Q6.

Q7. [IF SERVED OVERSEAS]

Afghanistan war?

YES (NET) ...................................................................................................

17%

Global Strategy Group

5278 CAP-Online Survey of Veterans on Guns

Page 2/5

S2. How important is it for national leaders in Washington, DC to address

IMPORTANT

NOT IMPORTANT

NET

Extremely
Not too
Not important
important
Very
Some
important
at all
IMPORTANT
Veteran suicide rates......................................................................................................................................................................
55%
32
12
2
*
98%

NOT
IMPORTANT
2

Military budget cuts .........................................................................................................................................................................

49%
32
13
4
2

95%

Mental health issues .......................................................................................................................................................................

44%
36
17
2
1

97%

Gun violence .....................................................................................................................................................................................

39%
24
22
11
4

85%

15

Below are some public figures and organizations. For each, indicate if you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, neutral,
somewhat unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of that public figure or organization.
S3.

FAVORABLE

UNFAVORABLE

NET

Very
Very
Not
favorable
Some
Neutral
Some
unfavorable
sure
FAV
NRA, or National Rifle Association ............................................................................................................................................
20%
23
21
13
23
*
43%

UNFAV
36

FAMILIAR
100

Mayors Against Illegal Guns ........................................................................................................................................................

17%
22
23
9
17
13
38%

26

87

VoteVets .............................................................................................................................................................................................
14%
19
27
1
1
38
33%

62

Democrats in Congress .................................................................................................................................................................

7%
17
17
20
36
1
25%

57

99

Wayne LaPierre ...............................................................................................................................................................................

6%
8
25
6
20
34
15%

27

66

Republicans in Congress ..............................................................................................................................................................

6%
22
17
25
29
2
27%

54

98

Q18. Did your military training include gun and weapons training?

Yes ..............................................................................................................
94%
No ................................................................................................................
6

Q19. Do you or does anyone in your household currently own a gun?

Yes ..............................................................................................................
56%
No ................................................................................................................
44

Q20.

Do you believe your experience in the armed services gives you a

unique perspective on gun-related issues?

Yes ..............................................................................................................
57%
No ................................................................................................................
43

Q21.

Thinking about the responsibilities that come with gun ownership, do

you believe veterans have a better sense of how to properly use and
safely store a firearm than those who have not served in the military?

Yes ..............................................................................................................
73%
No ................................................................................................................
27

How confident are you that veterans in general take seriously the
responsibilities that come with gun ownership?

Very confident..............................................................................................
46%
Somewhat confident ....................................................................................
46
Not too confident .........................................................................................
7
Not at all confident .......................................................................................
1

Q22.

CONFIDENT (NET) .....................................................................................

92%
NOT CONFIDENT (NET) ............................................................................
8

And how confident are you that those who have not served in the
military take seriously the responsibilities that come with gun ownership?
Q23.

Very confident..............................................................................................
7%
Somewhat confident ....................................................................................
51
Not too confident .........................................................................................
36
Not at all confident .......................................................................................
7

CONFIDENT (NET) .....................................................................................

57%
NOT CONFIDENT (NET) ............................................................................
43

Global Strategy Group

5278 CAP-Online Survey of Veterans on Guns

Do you agree or disagree that we can protect responsible gun

owners Second Amendment rights while still making it more difficult for
criminals and other dangerous people to obtain guns?

Page 3/5

Strongly agree .............................................................................................

43%
Somewhat agree .........................................................................................
42
Somewhat disagree .....................................................................................
10
Strongly disagree.........................................................................................
5

Q24.

AGREE (NET) .............................................................................................

85%
DISAGREE (NET) .......................................................................................
15

How much do you think strengthening the law to prevent dangerous

people from purchasing guns would affect the level of gun violence across
the country?

A lot .............................................................................................................
19%
Somewhat....................................................................................................
36
Not too much ...............................................................................................
29
Not at all ......................................................................................................
16

Q25.

IMPACT (NET) ............................................................................................

55%
NO IMPACT (NET) ......................................................................................
45
S7. Thinking now about some of the specific gun-related proposals currently being considered by Congress, do you support or oppose
SUPPORT
Strongly

Somewhat

OPPOSE
Somewhat

Strongly

NET
SUPPORT

OPPOSE

99%

Prohibiting anyone on the terror watch-list from buying a

gun.........................................................................................................................................................................................................
83%
13
2
1

96%

Requiring a criminal background check of every person

who wants to buy a firearm ...........................................................................................................................................................
74%
17
6
3

91%

Prohibiting anyone convicted of stalking or subject to a

court restraining order for stalking from buying a gun..........................................................................................................
67%
25
7
1

92%

Allowing military commanders to take private firearms

away from service members who pose a suicide threat .....................................................................................................
51%
32
12
5

83%

17

Banning high-capacity ammunition magazines .....................................................................................................................

45%
17
18
21

61%

39

Banning the sale of assault-style weapons.............................................................................................................................

40%
18
19
23

58%

42

Increasing criminal penalties for people convicted of

illegally trafficking guns to criminals ...........................................................................................................................................
91%
8
1
*

Do you agree or disagree that we can protect responsible gun

owners Second Amendment rights while still making it more difficult for
criminals, domestic abusers, and the mentally ill and other dangerous
people to obtain guns by requiring every gun sale to involve a background
check?

Strongly agree .............................................................................................

46%
Somewhat agree .........................................................................................
36
Somewhat disagree .....................................................................................
12
Strongly disagree.........................................................................................
6

Q34.

If your Senator or member of Congress voted to require a criminal

background check for every person who wants to buy a firearm, would you
be more likely to vote for them, less likely to vote for them, or would it not
affect the way you vote?

More likely ...................................................................................................

58%
Less likely ....................................................................................................
12
No effect on vote .........................................................................................
29

If your Senator or member of Congress was endorsed by the NRA

because of their positions on gun issues, would you be more likely to vote
for them, less likely to vote for them, or would it not affect the way you
vote?

More likely ...................................................................................................

30%
Less likely ....................................................................................................
31
No effect on vote .........................................................................................
38

Q33.

Q35.

AGREE (NET) .............................................................................................

82%
DISAGREE (NET) .......................................................................................
18

Global Strategy Group

5278 CAP-Online Survey of Veterans on Guns

Page 4/5

S9. As a source for information on gun-related issues, how much do you trust
TRUST

DISTRUST

Not too Not at

A lot
Some
much
all
Veterans organizations ..................................................................................................................................................................
32%
57
9
2

NET
TRUST

DISTRUST

89%

11

Police Chiefs .....................................................................................................................................................................................

28%
58
12
3

86%

14

The leadership of the NRA ...........................................................................................................................................................

18%
37
19
26

55%

45

Survivors of gun crime and family member of people killed with guns..........................................................................
16%
40
33
11

56%

44

As a member of the military, you had to pass a background check.

But potential criminals can buy assault-style weapons, like an AR-15,
without a background check. Knowing this, do you support or oppose
requiring a criminal background check of every person who wants to buy a
firearm?

Strongly support ..........................................................................................

68%
Somewhat support.......................................................................................
20
Somewhat oppose .......................................................................................
7
Strongly oppose...........................................................................................
4

Do you agree or disagree with the NRAs position that anyone should
be allowed to buy a one hundred round drum without having to pass a
background check?

Strongly agree .............................................................................................

8%
Somewhat agree .........................................................................................
17
Somewhat disagree .....................................................................................
22
Strongly disagree.........................................................................................
53

Q40.

Q41.

SUPPORT (NET).........................................................................................
89%
OPPOSE (NET) ...........................................................................................
11

AGREE (NET) .............................................................................................

25%
DISAGREE (NET) .......................................................................................
75

These final questions are for statistical purposes only.

D101. How old are you?

18-29 ...........................................................................................................
1%
30-44 ...........................................................................................................
19
45-54 ...........................................................................................................
16
55-64 ...........................................................................................................
24
65+...............................................................................................................
40

QD102. What is the last grade that you completed in school?

Some grade school......................................................................................

Some high school ........................................................................................
*
Graduated high school ................................................................................
10
Technical/Vocational ...................................................................................
7
Some college ...............................................................................................
38
Graduate college .........................................................................................
30
Graduate professional .................................................................................
15
Prefer not to say ..........................................................................................
*

QD106. What is the best way to describe the area where you live?

A city ............................................................................................................
22%
A suburb ......................................................................................................
45
A small town ................................................................................................
15
A rural area ..................................................................................................
17
Prefer not to say ..........................................................................................
1

QD110. What best describes your current marital status?

Married ........................................................................................................
71%
Not married, but living with partner..............................................................
5
Single, never married ..................................................................................
6
Divorced or separated .................................................................................
14
Widowed ......................................................................................................
3
Prefer not to say ..........................................................................................
2

QD107.

Do you currently have any children under 18 living at home with

you?
QD108. Are you currently employed?

Yes ..............................................................................................................
17%
No ................................................................................................................
82
Prefer not to say ..........................................................................................
1

Yes ..............................................................................................................
51%
No ................................................................................................................
47
Prefer not to say ..........................................................................................
2

Global Strategy Group

5278 CAP-Online Survey of Veterans on Guns

D105. When it comes to politics, do you generally think of yourself as?

Page 5/5

Liberal ..........................................................................................................
7%
Somewhat liberal .........................................................................................
13
Moderate .....................................................................................................
27
Somewhat conservative ..............................................................................
25
Conservative................................................................................................
25
Prefer not to say ..........................................................................................
3

LIBERAL (NET) ...........................................................................................

20%
CONSERVATIVE (NET) ..............................................................................
50
D300. To ensure that we
[IF BLACK/WHITE/OTHER]

have a representative sample, what is your race?

Do you consider yourself of Hispanic or Latino

origin or ancestry?
VOL:

Black/African-American ...............................................................................
11%
White/Caucasian .........................................................................................
77
Hispanic/Latino ............................................................................................
6
Asian-American ...........................................................................................
2
Other (SPECIFY) .........................................................................................
2
(Refused) .....................................................................................................
4

Did you vote in the 2012 election for president between Mitt
Romney and Barack Obama?

Yes, voted....................................................................................................
95%
No, did not vote ...........................................................................................
4
Prefer not to say ..........................................................................................
1

In that election did you vote for Mitt Romney or Barack

Voted for Mitt Romney .................................................................................

49%
Voted for Barack Obama .............................................................................
37
Voted for some other candidate ..................................................................
4
Prefer not to say ..........................................................................................
10

QD198.

QD199. [IF VOTED]

Obama?

D100. What is your gender?

Male .............................................................................................................
90%
Female.........................................................................................................
10