FIREARM TRAINING AND STORAGE

Objective.-To determine the extent of firearm training among gun owner s, how gun owners currently store their weapons, and the relationship between gun training and gun storage. Design and Setting.-A national r andom telephone survey of gun owners conducted from May through June 1 994. Participants.-A total of 800 adult gun owners residing in the Uni ted States. Main Outcome Measures.-Number of gun owners who received f irearm training and number who store a firearm loaded and unlocked. Lo gistic regression analyses were conducted to examine factors associate d with firearm training and gun storage practices. Results.-A total of 451 (56%) of gun owners have received firearm training. A total of 17 0 (21%) of gun owners keep a firearm both loaded and unlocked in the h ome. Factors associated with an increased likelihood of storing guns l oaded and unlocked included owning a gun for protection (odds ratio [O R], 2.40; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 1.62 to 3.54), owning a handgu n (OR, 3.31; 95% Cl, 1.85 to 5.95), and having received firearm traini ng (OR, 1.71; 95% Cl, 1.10 to 2.67). Length of firearm training and ho w recently training was received have little effect on storage practic es. Conclusion.-lt has been suggested that many homicide, suicide, and accidental firearm injuries might be prevented if ready access to let hal weapons was reduced, in part through appropriate storage of guns. Although increased training has been advocated as the prime method to improve gun storage practices, our results cast doubt on whether firea rm training, at least as currently provided, will substantially reduce the inappropriate storage of firearms.