guns

[Watersnake]

i was just curious (cos i live in india)...........does everyone (or almost) own a gun in america? i did see worlds greatest videos and i do hear abt school shootings but i don't know.........in india its just strangling, knifing, batting and such stuff...

 

[Buddha Bart]

according to some reports there are as many as one gun per person in the US. But its actually a minority that personnaly own a gun.

bart

 

[yakko]

No we don't own as many guns as you might think.The media just like to hype a few events to prove their point even though media is supposed to be neutral and not have a point.

 

[Lozer]

My gun is 6 with an 11.22 track time

 

[jorton]

Well I have several guns and just about every one I know has at least one. I have a hard time believing that people that own guns is a small minority.

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

lozer
shut up.



I have what's called an "over-and-under"
It's a 20ga shotgun with a .22 barrel mounted atop the shotgun barrel. It's very accurate. My great grandfather gave it to me before he died, so it means something to me --it's not just a gun that I have. If I were to buy a rifle (okay, something that's not a pistol), I'd buy a pump-action 12ga. It would have to be either flat black or chrome.

If I were to buy a pistol, it would have to be a semi-auto .44mag called the "Taurus" I believe. I saw it at a gun show and I wanted it.


But I'm more in to cutlery. I have a knife collection that I'm planning to build a display case for. I've also got swords, but they are already on display.




And, no, I'm not sadistic.

 

[Buddha Bart]

I didn't say small minority.

Try not to read your persecution paranoia into my comments.

bart

 

[Watersnake]

sorry for posting the message twice

 

[jorton]

Buddha Bart

ok hows this i dont think its a minority at all.
and Try not to read your persecution paranoia into my comments about my persecution paranoia in your comments.

joking here

 

[Stosh]

I don't own one. I never felt the need to have one. I doubt that I ever will. I always lived in safe areas. Not much, if any violent crime. The odd thing is that I truly believe it is the right of every U.S. citizen to own one.

 

[AndrewR]

I have two guns; my brother (oldest of four of us) has one; and my father has two he inherited from his father.

While I'd say a large majority of rural folks own guns, the percentage is a lot less in urban areas (well, I'm talking LEGAL gun ownership), and especially lower in Nazi-esque states like California and Taxachussetts. Southern states have higher ownership rates generally, as do western states. Areas with hunting will likely have higher ownership rates.

However, since the majority of the population lives in cities and drives SUVs that never actually touch dirt, my guess is that it's a sizeable minority that actually owns firearms.

 

[Lalakai]

It would interesting to see just how many gun owners are collectors versus single or "tool" owners (owns a firearm for hunting or varmits).

I would hazard that the majority of firearm owners do not own them purely for the purpose of protection or security.

My first firearm was an old double barrel 20 gauge, which is now my daughter's. She doesn't like to hunt but loves to go shooting at the range; doubt it ever entered into her mind to use it for protection.

 

[bigvince]

most americans don't have guns but only because the criminal liberal news media here has almost conviced everybody that guns are evil. it's what we americans call a "smear campagin" they are usualy used to discredit polititions (sp?) this is the first time ive seen it used against an inaniamte object though.

 

[syber321]

I wouldn't say most Americans owned guns. I think there's just a minority of people that have a lot of guns. This is basically what Buddha Bart said.. I live in an urban area though. Then there's the people that own guns illegally...and that's completely different, I suppose.

 

[DaBoneHead]

As you get older, I think the number of people owning weapons decreases.

For example, my three best buddies are now married with children. After they had kids, they shortly dumped their weapons. I think they were concerned about accidental shootings with kids playing with guns. My buddies offerred me the weapons, but I didn't want them. Eventually, they got rid of them some how.

I think it was pretty responsible decision.

 

[Buddha Bart]

My best guess:
the 1:1 person-to-gun ratio comes from hunters who may have 2 or 3 rifles, a shotgun, and mabey a handgun. Then add in the collectors, who have dozens.

Keep in mind, when you say somthing like "a large majority of rural folks own guns" you have to take into account the fact that its probably just one, mabey two, people in a 5 person household that actually own a gun.

yea statistics.

bart

 

[Czar]

Its probably true that its a minority who owns guns but the majority of homes probably have guns.

 

[Russ]

<< But its actually a minority that personnaly own a gun. >>



Wrong. It's actually a majority of adults that own at least one weapon, be it a hunting rifle, .22 caliber plinker, or Grandpa's shotgun that was handed down. It is not a minority as the media would have you believe.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Russ]

Damn server.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Johnnie]

my baby

 

[Czar]

And then there is one other problem, this love that americans have for their guns, its about the same as I have with my computer and I know its not normal

 

[Raspewtin]

Russ said:



<< It's actually a majority of adults that own at least one weapon, be it a hunting rifle, .22 caliber plinker, or Grandpa's shotgun that was handed down >>



Where did you find this information? What's your source? I've found information to the contrary. Unfortuantely the best source I've found is four years old. If you have a more up-to-date source, please share it. Thanks.

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&quot;. There are currently an estimated 192 million guns in private hands. Studies report that 25% of individuals and 35% of households own at least one gun. (Note: since most households contain more than one resident, the likelihood that a home contains a gun is greater than for individuals). &quot;

Philip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig, Guns in America, Police Foundation, 1996, 1, 9, 12
.

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&quot;Seventy-four percent of gun owners own more than one firearm. MOST GUNS IN AMERICA ARE CONCENTRATED IN THE HANDS OF A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE. 42% of individuals and 34% of households report owning 4 or more guns. This means that 9.7 million individuals own 105.5 million guns, with the remaining 34.4 million individuals owning just 86.6 million guns.&quot;

Philip J. Cook and Jens Ludwig, Guns in America, Police Foundation, 1996, 15

 

[Russ]

Raspewtin,

The 25% number was never close to reality because we, thank God, don't have gun registration at the Federal level in this country, so any &quot;statistic&quot; can be used to suit ones own agenda. In addition, that study compares gun ownership to TOTAL population. Note that I used the word &quot;adult&quot;.

There is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 million gun owners, which would comprise a majority of the adult population. Sorry, I don't have a source right off hand. I read it quite some time ago.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Raspewtin]

That's interesting. I never considered the adult vs total population.

 

[IBhacknU]

I own a gun... it's good for fishing and other outdoor sports.