Interviewers introduced the questions on firearm safety by stating, "The next questions are about safety and firearms. Firearms include pistols, shotguns, rifles, and other types of guns. Do not include guns that cannot fire, starter pistols, or BB guns." The survey form also directed interviewers to read if necessary: "Sometimes the use of firearms can lead to injury, which is a health problem."

Interviewers asked, "Which statement best describes the PLACES the firearms are kept?" The respondent was then handed a card with (interviewers were directed to read these choices over the telephone in 1994)

Interviewers handed respondents a card with the two response choices on it and asked them to report which response (unlocked or locked) best described the firearm storage.

Two similar variables were created from the 1994 survey and which specify where firearms are kept for respondents who have only one firearm (GUNANYWHER), and those who have more than one firearm (GUN2WHERE).

Both the 1994 and 1998 included questions about firearm ownership, the kind of firearm (such as shotgun, handgun, etc.), as well as storage of it (loaded or unloaded, locked or unlocked, etc.). Because the 1998 survey did not separately identify respondents who had one versus more than one firearm, the variables related to the follow-up questions on kind and storage of the firearm are different for the two surveys. A more detailed description of these variables can be found under GUNATHOME.

In both survey years, interviewers introduced the questions firearm safety by stating, "The next questions are about safety and firearms. Firearms include pistols, shotguns, rifles, and other types of guns. Do not include guns that cannot fire, starter pistols, or BB guns." The survey text also included the following prose which interviewers could read: "Sometimes the use of firearms can lead to injury, which is a health problem."