In the face of contentions by gun control advocates that polls showed the public to favor gun control, the National Rifle Association commissioned a 'conservative' polling organization to study attitudes and opinions related to private ownership of firearms. This 1975 national poll measured the strength of public feeling on gun control through open-ended 'funneling' questions and a semistructured question. The open-ended questions inquired about problems facing the Nation and the local community. No one indicated that gun control was a primary concern, even though 13.5 percent indicated crime was a major national problem. The semistructured question inquired about what steps should be taken to reduce crime. Ten percent suggested steps codeable as 'gun control.' A 1977 Illinois telephone survey gave respondents 10 items and requested that each be rated on a 5-point scale of importance. 'Strengthen gun control laws' was seventh under the rating of 'very important.' The 1976 Massachusetts handgun ban proposition was soundly defeated. A postreferendum survey of voters found that of those voting against the ban, 26 percent believed such a ban would not be effective against crime and 22 percent supported a person's right to own a gun. Overall, it appears the majority of the American public is not convinced that handgun control would significantly reduce crime. Tabular data are provided, along with 15 references.