Researchers Track the Willingness of Gun Owners to Temporarily Store Guns Outside Their Homes

Rutgers researchers have found that firearm owners are more likely to consider temporary out-of-home storage when worried about the safety of others.

Their study reveals that firearm owners prioritize the safety of household members over their own self-protection when deciding whether to temporarily store their firearms outside the home. At the same time, many remain concerned about leaving the home defenseless.

Researchers surveyed 3,018 U.S. adults living in households with firearms through an online survey. The respondents were asked who lived in a home with a firearm and their willingness to temporarily store their firearms with either firearm retailers or law enforcement.

The findings illustrate that firearm owners and their family members were willing to store with retailers. Thirty-four percent of the respondents said they were willing to store their firearms with law enforcement agencies.

“Our findings show that firearm owners are more willing to temporarily store their firearms with retailers and law enforcement when they're concerned about protecting others in their household rather than themselves, but are also concerned about leaving the home unprotected,” said Jennifer Paruk, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center. “This suggests that providers should emphasize how voluntary, temporary storage can keep loved ones safe while highlighting the short-term nature of this storage."

The researchers said installing lockers within firearm retailers may increase willingness for voluntary, temporary out-of-home storage.

“Several states now provide online maps that show firearm retailers and law enforcement agencies who have indicated that may accept temporary storage requests,” Paruk said.

Experts at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center have developed a New Jersey firearm storage map of places throughout the state for temporary, voluntary firearm storage based on 2021 data.