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Three Percent own Half of America’s Guns

posted by martyb on Tuesday September 20 2016, @02:39PM   
from the taking-aim-at-statistics dept.

aristarchus writes:

From The Washington Post:

The survey's findings support other research showing that as overall rates of gun ownership has declined, the number of firearms in circulation has skyrocketed. The implication is that there are more guns in fewer hands than ever before. The top 3 percent of American adults own, on average, 17 guns apiece, according to the survey's estimates.

Washington Post

Interesting. Lawyers, guns, and money! Which of these has the smallest percentage and largest absolute amount? Of course, the other major shift the survey reveals is in the rationale for owning firearms: currently, a majority of owners cite personal protection as their motivation, prior to the 1990's the majority owned guns for sport.

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Original Submission

• Re:Another possibility (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 20 2016, @07:05PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 20 2016, @07:05PM (#404416)

  I think you missed the point. Quoting the GP:

  But another possibility is that we're seeing a decline in registrations. People aren't failing to register because they already own other registered guns. They're just not registering. Or buying in private sales. Or more guns are going directly to the black market where you can't track them. That's a much more frightening possibility to me than people who own 5 guns buying guns 6, 7, and 8.

  I'm sure you'll agree that guns going directly to the black market is much more frightening than people who already have some registered guns buying more.

  I'll also assert that the other situations described here (guns to first-time buyers in private sales who don't register, on just neglecting to register) is also slightly more worrying to me than an already well-equipped person getting more weapons. It's not a "run-for-the-hills" type worry, but it's obvious why having in increase in the number of people armed in near proximity could be a concern. For example, it is one more person who can make a mistake and leave a gun in an unsafe condition.

  A person with 5 guns presumably already knows how to take care of them, so a 6th is not a big deal. A person buying their very first gun is by definition less experienced... and there are just more armed people so more chances for people to make mistakes (or worse).

  Parent