If you ask most people about their image of someone who carries a firearm concealed on a regular basis, they’ll probably tell you they picture some crusty old white dude who has a faded bumper sticker on his truck that says, “From my cold, dead hands” or something similar. The idea in many people’s minds is that concealed carry is something that older folks are more likely to do because younger people tend to think they’re bulletproof.

At least, that’s kind of what I seemed to think when I was in my 20s.

However, it seems that the younger gun owners are the ones far more likely to embrace concealed carry.

Younger gun owners report carrying their firearms on them much more frequently than older gun owners, expressing a higher level of support for concealed carry, according to a poll conducted in July by Ipsos in partnership with Newsy for its new special report “Young Guns.” While younger Americans in the survey were just as likely to own guns (28 percent) as older generations (27 percent), they were almost twice as likely to report carrying their guns on them, with 43 percent of younger gun owners (ages 18-34) polled saying they carry a gun at least once a month compared to 23 percent of older American gun owners (ages 35 and up). While popular belief may view younger generations as less tolerant of guns, the Newsy/Ipsos survey results show a far more nuanced view. The survey also reveals the emerging habits and attitudes for young gun owners after the last decade of rapid growth in gun sales and in the number of concealed carry permits.

This is interesting because this same poll also found these younger gun owners are also far more likely to support gun control laws in general.

The Newsy/Ipsos poll also finds: While both younger and older gun owners see the National Rifle Association (NRA) as an important protector of the Second Amendment, 49 percent of gun-owning young Americans say the NRA is obstructing politicians from enacting meaningful gun control laws; just 38 percent of all gun owners agree. Among all Americans (not just gun owners), younger Americans’ support for stricter gun control laws overall is higher than support from older Americans (61 percent versus 53 percent). That same group of younger Americans’ support for concealed carry in public spaces is about even with older Americans (43 percent versus 41 percent).

That’s a shame, but not overly surprising. Many of this generation don’t understand that once you allow gun control to take root, it will grow and fester like black mold behind a wall.

Gun control groups aren’t willing to stop with a magazine restriction or universal background checks, and they don’t want to compromise. They want to take everything, even if they don’t think they do. They’ll get whatever they can right now, then proceed to keep going until getting a gun is a difficult, complicated process that makes it virtually impossible for anyone to arm themselves.

But I get it. They don’t remember when handguns were the boogieman. They don’t necessarily remember the assault weapon ban hysteria and how it accomplished nothing. They don’t remember any of that stuff. They only see what they see on the news and the internet.

So I understand it. I don’t agree with it, but I understand it.

However, I see this decision by many to embrace concealed carry as a good sign. I see it as opening up the potential for them to learn all this and change their minds on some of this gun control nonsense as they gain a little wisdom.

After all, it’s only a matter of time before they see the anti-gunners’ true face.