Washington ( CNN ) -- Is the clock ticking on gun control ? While support for many gun control policies remains high in the wake of the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut , polls conducted over the past few weeks suggest that three-and-a-half months after the tragedy , public backing for major new gun laws overall appears to have dropped significantly . A CBS News survey released earlier this week indicated a 10-point drop in the public backing of stricter gun laws , from 57 % immediately after the shootings in Newtown , Connecticut , in December when a heavily armed gunman killed 20 young students and six adults , to 47 % now . That poll was in line with a CNN/ORC International survey released last week that indicated a nine-point drop in the percentage of Americans who favor major restrictions on guns or an outright ban on gun ownership , from 52 % following the shootings to 43 % . Opinion : Did we learn nothing from Newtown ? Other polls have shown changes within their sampling error but in the same downward direction . An ABC News/Washington Post poll released in mid-March showed support for stricter gun laws moving from 54 % to 52 % . That two-point margin was within the survey 's sampling error . And a Fox News poll released last week indicated majority backing -- but some slippage -- in support for specific proposals like banning assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips . `` Opinion on gun control was fairly steady over the past few years , but seemed to spike after the Connecticut shootings , '' CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said . `` The big question is whether support for major new gun laws has simply dropped back down to that previous level or whether the slide will continue even further . '' So what 's causing the drop in support ? The surveys , including CNN 's , offer clues . Despite emotions , little happens legislatively after mass shootings . `` Support for stricter gun control has fallen dramatically among two groups -- older Americans and people who live in rural areas , '' Holland said . `` In the immediate aftermath of the shootings in Connecticut , the number of rural Americans who supported major gun restrictions rose to 49 % but now that support has dropped 22 points . Support for stricter gun laws dropped 16 points among Americans over 50 years old in that same time . '' The new polls suggest that federal lawmakers pushing for gun control might have waited too long to act . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced late last week that he would move ahead on a bill that would expand background checks for gun sales and stiffen gun trafficking penalties when the Senate returns from the two-week recess it 's currently taking . While national polling indicates extremely strong support for background checks , Reid 's bill could face a very tough go of it in Democrat-controlled Senate , let alone the GOP-dominated House .
Public support for new gun laws has dropped dramatically since Newtown Massacre . Support peaked after elementary school shootings but has dropped by double digits since . Largest drop in support was among older people and those who live in rural areas .