ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, July 29, 1996                  TAG: 9607290003
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-1  EDITION: METRO 

GUNS THE VIRGINIA TECH QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY

Virginia Tech's Center for Survey Research polled 1,168 adult Virginians between April 21-May 22. The margin of error is 2.9 percent. Numbers may not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.

Highlights biggest differences between certain groups.

Most Virginians - 55 percent -want to keep handguns legal. But the subject of guns provokes sharp divisions among different types of Virginians.

Handguns should be made illegal

Strongly agree 29%

Somewhat agree 14%

Somewhat disagree 18%

Strongly disagree 37%

Don't know 2%

Virginians who live in the urban crescent are evenly divided on whether handguns should be made illegal, but folks in the rest of the state back gun rights by a 2-1 margin.

Handguns should be made illegal

Urban crescent Rest of state

Strongly agree 34% 22%

Somewhat agree 16% 12%

Somewhat disagree 15% 22%

Strongly disagree 33% 41%

Don't know 1% 2%

Men back gun rights by a 2-1 margin, but a slim majority of women believe handguns should be banned.

Handguns should be made illegal

Men Women

Strongly agree 19% 38%

Somewhat agree 13% 16%

Somewhat disagree 17% 20%

Strongly disagree 50% 25%

Don't know 1% 2%

Most Virginians don't own a handgun. Not surprisingly, though, those most likely to own a handgun are men, and folks who live outside the urban crescent.

Do you have a handgun in your home?

Statewide Urban crescent rest of state Men Women

Yes 30% 21% 39% 35% 24%

No 68% 76% 58% 61% 74%

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ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  Color.