Guns in America: Results of a Comprehensive National Survey on Firearms Ownership and UseWith nearly 200,000,000 guns in private hands, firearms have an important impact on the quality of American life. This report provides the most complete data available on the private stock of firearms in the U. S. and focuses on four central issues: (1) the size, composition, and ownership of America's gun stock; (2) how and why firearms are acquired; (3) gun storage and carrying; and (4) the defensive use of firearms against criminal attackers. Views on gun control are also explored. Among the findings: While there are enough guns in private hands to provide every adult with one, gun ownership is quite concentrated: only a quarter of adults own a gun, and owners average four guns each. Ten million adults own over half of the 200 million guns. Handgun owners lists self protection as their primary motive for owning a gun, while long-gun owners mention hunting or target shooting. Handguns are much more likely than long guns to be kept unlocked and loaded in the home as well as carried in public. The more fundamental divide is not between handgun and long-gun owners but between those who own guns and those who do not. |
Common terms and phrases
A-Type asked caliber carried a gun Chilton cohorts concern about crime criminal currently Defensive gun users dents DGUers esti Females fire Firearms Training formal training Gun Accidents gun acquisitions Gun Carrying Gun Control gun for protection gun owners Gun Ownership Patterns Guns Acquired guns in private Handgun Control handgun owners handgun ownership handgun registration Hispanic hunting incidence interview involvement with guns Jens Ludwig Kleck and Gertz loaded and unlocked long guns Males million guns National Rifle Association National Safety Council NCVS nonowners nontraffic offense NSPOF data NSPOF estimates NSPOF includes NSPOF sample number of defensive number of DGUS past 12 months Percent Distribution percent of gun perpetrator person Police Foundation prevalence Private Gun Stock reason respondent's respondents who reported response rate Rifle safe self-ownership someone spondents sport shooting storage Support for Handgun Table telephone numbers telephone survey tion types of guns victim Views on Gun