3 million Americans carry a loaded handgun on the daily

New research estimates that three million adult American handgun owners carry a loaded gun daily and nine million do so each month.

The vast majority cited protection as their primary reason for carrying a firearm, according to the research.

The research scrutinizes why, how often, and in what manner US adults carry loaded handguns. It also examines how concealed handgun-carrying behavior differs across states, depending on their laws.