The demographics of gun owners, and why they own them. Still, this can give us an idea of how gun ownership breaks down by state. The statistic shows the percentage of households in the united states which own firearms from 1972 to 2019. From the very first days of european settlement, those on the frontier owned their own arms for hunting and protection. The harvardnortheastern survey, reported by the guardian, found that while americas gun stock has increased by 70 million guns since 1994, the percentage of americans who own guns has decreased from 25% to 22%. On gun ownership, the united states stands out among. Someone stopped by searching for gun ownership usa 19602012 there will be quite a few estimates prior to 1990 in an answer to that. Gun violence in the united states by state wikipedia. Only one in five 18 to 29yearolds 21% say they own a gun, while 32% of 30 to 49yearolds and 31% of those aged 50 and older report ownership. The new survey results mirror the trends of the annual general social survey, which found that household gun ownership has fallen from 50% to close to. In the united states over 300 million people own firearms.
Handguns are the most common choice of firearm among gun owners, especially those who only own one weapon. Is gunrelated violence so deeply embedded in american historical experience as to. The state with the highest number of deaths from firearm injuries is alaska. The united states constitution protects its citizens right to own firearms under the second amendment law. This is what gun ownership looks like around the world.
An estimated 34 percent of the citizens in the united states own firearms, and there are thought to be more. It has been accepted for inclusion in dissertations and theses by an authorized administrator of pdxscholar. Here are some key facts on guns and gun ownership in the united states and worldwide. There are roughly 300 million guns in the united statesnearly enough for each citizen to own one. American gun ownership drops to lowest in nearly 40 years the. The united states has the highest level of gun ownership per person of any country. Sep 19, 2016 the new survey results mirror the trends of the annual general social survey, which found that household gun ownership has fallen from 50% to close to 31% since the late 1970s, and that individual.
A new survey of gun ownership in america found the percentage of americans who own guns has decreased, even as americans buy more guns. Jun 29, 2016 a washington post analysis last year found that the average american gun owner now owns approximately eight firearms, double the number in the 1990s. The united states is home to roughly 35 to 50 percent of the worlds civilianowned guns, even though it holds less than 5 percent of the worlds population, and guns are comparatively easy to. American gun show, houston, texas americans made up 4 percent of the worlds population but owned about 46 percent of the entire global stock of 857 million civilian firearms.
Most of these gun owners say the right to own firearms is essential to their own personal sense of freedom. Jul 08, 2015 there are roughly 300 million guns in the united statesnearly enough for each citizen to own one. A history of gun control in canada osgoode society for. Gun control laws around the world run the gamut from extremely restrictive in countries like japan to fairly permissive in the united states. Mar 20, 20 the culture of gun ownership has very deep roots in the united states. Americans have been wielding rifles since before there was even a centralized government. For instance, the united states has more than 12 times as many guns per person as honduras, but the 2012 us gun homicide rate per 100,000 people 2. According to data compiled by the united nations office on drugs and crime unodc and analyzed by the guardian, americans own 42% of all civilian guns in the world. Bellesiles makes it clear that gun ownership was the exceptioneven on the. This surprising map shows all 50 states renamed for. As the ipoll database indicates, personal gun ownership is of course lower than household gun ownership 28. In relative terms, the us has the highest number of guns per capita. Published by metro books, new york isbn 9781435117297 all trademarks and names are the property of the respective trademark owner.
While reading, its important to remember that only six states and the district of columbia require the registration of firearms. The history of gun control in america rear vision abc. There are more guns than people in the united states, according to. Americans are increasingly interested in handguns, the types of small weapons that are easily hidden and used for selfdefense.
Roughly one in three americans who live in the midwest 34% and the south 36% say they personally own a gun. Nov 25, 2019 the united states has the highest level of gun ownership per person of any country. Guns and gun ownership in the united states reuters. In 2017, about 36 percent of the respondents living in the south owned a. The united states leads all nations in rates of private gun ownership, yet.
The tragedy in oregon has once again pushed gun control to the forefront of american conversation and the 2016 election with the rising death toll from firearms in. We also show that our counts are generally consistent with other published counts of guns, including those of alice hanson jones, gloria l. He is the author of fifteen books, including five on gun policy, most recently guns across america oxford university press 2015. The ability to hunt wild animals for food not only offered a means for survival, but. The ten mustread books for gunrights proponents dave kopel. America has the highest gun homicide rate, the highest number of guns per capita. Jun 12, 2017 firearms are classified as handguns, rifles, and shotguns. It would be fair to say that its something most men aspired to, but certainly not all men ever reached the point in life where they were able to afford or justify one. Gun ownership across the united states is older than the constitution guaranteeing our right to bear arms. This figure is especially startling when you consider that the u.
This book on the history of guns in america examines the second. List of books and articles about gun control online. Generally, if you live in a civilized society, more guns mean more. This surprising map shows all 50 states renamed for countries. Bellesiles has made a detailed study of the records of gun ownership and militia service in the thirteen colonies and the united states, from the beginnings of. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite. A beginners guide to american machine gun ownership outdoorhub. Latest figures show there are 310 million guns in the u. Oct 08, 2015 the tragedy in oregon has once again pushed gun control to the forefront of american conversation and the 2016 election with the rising death toll from firearms in the u.
Here, a customer checks out a shotgun in merrimack. While blacks were the first targets of gun control measures, different racial and ethnic minorities have been. Redirected from murder in the united states by state this article is a list of the u. According to the survey, which was conducted among 1,001 americans in the aftermath of the orlando nightclub shooting, 36 percent of u. Handguns are the new home security the new york times.
In another story, the new york times quotes researcher david hemenway as claiming. The store owner said their sales doubled from 2015 to 2016. In 2017, about 36 percent of the respondents living in the south owned a gun. While blacks were the first targets of gun control measures, different racial and ethnic minorities have been targeted over time, and today the poor now face economic. I did not begin collecting data until 1969, well after the entertainment industrys gun control pogrom drove tens of millions of gun owners undercover. The proportion of americans who say it is more important to control gun ownership, according to a study published in june, against 47 per cent. Harry enten the number of background checks has gone up in every year since 2005, after being relatively stable from 1999 to 2005. In 2018, small arms survey reported that there are over one billion small arms distributed globally, of which 857 million about 85 percent are in civilian hands. The origins of a national gun culture is a discredited 2000 book by historian.
History of gun ownership laws ebsco information services. South american countries tend to fall in the middle. An analysis of the national crime victimization survey on effectiveness of armed victim resistance. These books will make you think differently about the gun. A 2017 survey by the pew research center reveals some more interesting stats about guns in the u. Gun law history in the united states and second amendment. In 2014, norc published a study entitled trends in gun ownership in the united states, 19722014. Mar 31, 2014 charles blow in the new york times last year made the very common argument. Part of theunited states history commons this thesis is brought to you for free and open access.
It is legal to own machine guns, like this fullytransferable german mp 431 from a private collection, in the united states. The culture of gun ownership has very deep roots in the united states. List of books and articles about gun control online research. History of gun ownership laws the early explorers and settlers of the united states took full advantage of the abundant game to be found in the new lands they were beginning to inhabit. However, remember that the united states population was approximately 140 million, with just under 45 million families. This map shows where americas gun owners are mother jones. The ku klux klan, ronald reagan, and, for most of its history, the nra all worked to control guns. The south is the region with the most guns about 36%, followed by the midwest and west 32% and 31%, respectively and the. Aug 01, 2017 the united states constitution protects its citizens right to own firearms under the second amendment law. The ability to hunt wild animals for food not only offered a means for survival, but also allowed settlers to expand their territories farther west. The statistic shows the percentage of population in the united states owning one or more firearms in 2017, by region. A beginners guide to american machine gun ownership. Most of these gun owners say the right to own firearms is essential to.
Americans are increasingly interested in handguns, the types of small weapons. An estimated 34 percent of the citizens in the united states own. A history the supreme courts decision on the right to bear arms is the latest milestone in the long history of u. Other states that top the list include louisiana, mississippi, alabama, and arkansas. The us has by far and away the highest levels some 88. One map that puts americas gun violence epidemic in. Among other things, it estimated gunownership numbers for 178 countries, including the united states which it estimates has about 270 million guns. Counting guns in early america estimate that at least 50% of all wealth owners both males and females owned guns.
The following statistics portray current gun ownership statistics in the us. And yet he is exasperated because gun owners, along with their culture and. How common was firearm ownership in the 18th century in. Reviewed in the united states on september 23, 2011 verified purchase you would never imagine each of these families having a gun or several guns and to actually see them holding or displaying them in their homes casually in the living room or kitchen or whatever. Apr 17, 2007 here are some key facts on guns and gun ownership in the united states and worldwide. The culture and credo of the gun and millions of other books are. The statistics of gun possessions in the united states and the debate about its control. A washington post analysis last year found that the average american gun owner now owns approximately eight firearms, double the number in. Few americans, this clicheupending book shows, owned guns before the.
American civilians own more guns than those held by civilians in the other top 25 countries combined. Goss examine the history of guns in the united states, as well as the most recent research and data on gun ownership, firearm. In the united states, gun culture encompasses the behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs about firearms and their usage by civilians. The book suffers from a lack of organization and the authors frequent failure to maintain focus on the topic at hand particularly in the many personal digressions that are often entertaining but equally often just irrelevant to the issue of guns. Constitution gives americans the right to bear arms, and threeinten american adults personally own a gun. But those guns are concentrated in the hands of a minority of americans. Charles blow in the new york times last year made the very common argument. Gun ownership has long been a hotbutton topic in the united states, and the. The discriminatory history of gun control introduction gun control in the united states is based on a long history of discrimination which continues to this day.
The sum of registered firearms equals only 6,058,390, a far cry from the 393 million total in america. A history of gun rights in america american heritage. We also show that our counts are generally consistent with other published counts of guns, including those of alice hanson jones, gloria. This is also evident by a crosstabulation of personal and household gun ownership questions on the 19802012 gss. Ownership is lower among those residing in the east 22% and the west 23%. Americas gun owners need to have a strong understanding of. The availability of guns is controlled by nations and localities throughout the world.
Oct 05, 2017 the proportion of americans who say it is more important to control gun ownership, according to a study published in june, against 47 per cent who say it is more important to protect the right to. Firearms are widely used in the united states for selfdefense, hunting, and recreational uses, such as target. Oct 12, 2016 a new study of gun ownership in the united states notes a shift. These numbers do not include firearms owned by law enforcement agencies or militaries. In the united states the right of the people to keep and bear arms is guaranteed by the constitution, but has been variously interpreted through the years. There were an estimated 89 to 100 guns for every 100 americans in 20around one firearm per. Gun ownership in the united states is constitutionally protected by the united states bill of rights.
But changes to our society and technology have facilitated a shift in values and principles. A new study of gun ownership in the united states notes a shift. Murder rates were calculated based on the fbi uniform crime reports and the estimated 2015 population of each state. Apr 29, 2019 the statistic shows the percentage of population in the united states owning one or more firearms in 2017, by region. The united states now produces more firearms than ever before, and in 20.