Survey Finds About 60 Million U.S. Guns Match Democrats' Assault-Weapon Definition
A Georgetown University survey estimates roughly 60 million firearms in America fit the Democratic definition of “assault weapons,” including about 40 million AR-15-type rifles.
Researchers at Georgetown University, led by William English, released a survey of 51,398 U.S. adults conducted in July and August 2026 that puts the number of firearms fitting the Democratic definition of “assault weapons” at about 60 million. The data break down to roughly 40 million AR-15-style rifles and an additional 20 million guns that Democrats target for prohibition. These figures align with a documented upward trend since 2020, when the National Shooting Sports Foundation estimated just under 20 million AR/AK-type guns in circulation, rising to 24,446,000 in 2022 and surpassing 32 million by January 2026.
Survey respondents cited home defense as the leading reason for owning such weapons. The findings were highlighted in Ammoland’s publication of the survey and referenced by commentary from one outlet News columnist AWR Hawkins.
Why it matters
Shows the scale of firearms that could be affected by future assault-weapon legislation.
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