NBC/WSJ Poll: Americans Divided on Government Role in Gun Control, Access

A ban on the sale of semi-automatic firearms remains relatively popular

With gun policy taking center stage on Capitol Hill following the June 12 mass shooting at an Orlando gay club, Americans still remain lukewarm to sweeping gun control measures compared to the mid-1990s, when public opinion swept a 10-year assault weapons ban into law.

Fifty percent of voters say they are concerned the government will go too far in restricting the rights of citizens to own guns, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, while 47 percent said they were more concerned authorities would not do enough to regulate access to firearms.

The margin is relatively unchanged since December 2015, after the terror attack in San Bernardino, California. At that time, 52 percent of respondents worried about government overreach on gun reform, compared to 44 percent who expressed concern that gun policy would be too lax.

Meanwhile, a ban on the sale of the semi-automatic firearms, referred to as assault weapons, remains relatively popular, with 51 percent of voters supporting such a ban while 31 percent oppose it.

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