I suspect news stories source for numbers tend to "gun safety" activists groups or sponsors. The American news media love a good crusade.
Gallup 1994 as a private poll got 51% of American households reporting having a gun.
Chiltons 1994 as part of a government poll got 34% of American households reporting owning a gun.
Why the difference in response between a private poll and a government poll? Could be the randomness of a small sample. But 1994 was the year full of news about trials and hearings over the Aug 1992 Ruby Ridge Standoff and Feb 1993 Raid on Mt Carmel (Waco). Gallup has surmised that gun poll responses may be affected by current gun politics.
Zogby Polls have predicted elections right when other polls called them wrong.
Zogby Analytics Feb 25, 2015
QUESTION: "If a national pollster asked you if you owned a firearm, would you determine to tell him or her the truth or would you feel it was none of their business?"
36% of Americans feel it is none of the pollster's business and that includes 35% of current gun owners 47% of Republicans and 42% of Independents
A recent Zogby Poll (1 Mar 2018) surveyed a national sample of voting age Americans.
56% of the general population support the 2nd Amendment, 28% oppose, 16% no opinion.
65% of millennials (age 18-29) support, 23% oppose, 12% no opinion.
54% of Hispanics support, 29% oppose.
46% of African Americans support, 36% oppose.
59% of white voters support, 25% oppose.
47% of Democrats support, 37% oppose.
47% of Independents support, 27% oppose.
86% of Republicans support, 18% oppose.
Apparently there are more voting age 2A supporters than there are opponents.
Apparently there are more voting age 2A supporters than there are gun owners.