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Gallup: Public Supports Stricter Gun Laws, But Opposes Bans

Nearly 60 percent of Americans said they support stricter gun laws but majorities expressed opposition to bans on specific types of firearms, according to a poll from Gallup released on Thursday.

Fifty-eight percent said that laws "covering the sale of firearms" should be made more strict, while 34 percent said that no changes should be made and a mere 6 percent said that laws should be made less strict.

But while there's robust support for tighter gun control, the poll found majority opposition to bans on certain weapons. Fifty-one percent said they are opposed to a ban on semi-automatic weapons and 74 percent indicated that they oppose a ban on handguns. The poll showed wide support for a ban on high-capacity magazines: 62 percent said they favor a prohibition on such clips, which have the capability of containing more than 10 rounds. 

Correction: This post has been updated to indicate that 62 percent support a ban on high-capacity magazines.

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