A study has found an estimated three million adult American handgun owners carry a loaded firearm on a daily basis, and nine million do so on a monthly basis. <br/><br/>Vast majority cited protection as the primary reason for carrying a firearm. <br/><br/>The study found that 80 per cent of surveyed handgun owners who carried their handgun had a concealed-carry permit. <br/><br/>And 66 per cent said they always carried their handguns concealed, compared with 10 per cent who said they always carry their weapons openly. Some owners nevertheless reported carrying a concealed handgun without a permit in states in which doing so was illegal. <br/><br/>The study is the first in over 20 years to scrutinise why, how often, and in what manner US adults carry loaded<br/>handguns<br/><br/>