Firearm Owners' Preferences for Secure Storage Devices: Insights From Product Reviews.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Criminology
• Consumer Behavior

Background:

• Secure firearm storage is crucial for preventing suicide, unintentional injuries, and gun theft.
• Less than half of US firearm owners practice secure firearm storage.
• Understanding owner preferences for storage devices can enhance current promotional strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify key priorities and preferences of firearm owners when evaluating firearm storage devices.
• To inform efforts promoting secure firearm storage by aligning with consumer needs.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of 250 Amazon product reviews for 25 firearm locking devices across five categories.
• Focused on 'most helpful' positive and critical reviews from verified purchasers.
• Employed open-coding and content analysis to identify salient features and themes.

Main Results:

• Thirteen key themes emerged from the review analysis.
• Prominent priorities across all device types included sturdiness, ease of access, reliability, and theft resistance.
• Simplicity in setup and ease of operation were highly valued by consumers.

Conclusions:

• Firearm owners seek secure storage solutions balancing quick access with robust protection against theft and damage.
• Storage devices that are simple to set up and operate are preferred by consumers.
• Tailoring secure storage promotion to align with owner preferences can increase adoption and effectiveness.