Just 3% of Americans own almost 50% of the country’s guns, study says

[joe817]

"The number of American guns is growing, but more of them are being owned by comparatively fewer people, according to a new study by Harvard and Northeastern universities. The study, released before publication to the Trace and the Guardian, estimates that nearly half of the 265 million guns now owned privately belong to just 3 percent of Americans. Though most of the country’s 55 million gun owners possess one to three guns, about 7.7 million owners have eight or more."

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/busin ... ss_Insider

Interesting article. Not sure if I buy it hook, line and sinker though.

[Jusme]

Here is the key phrase: About 22 percent of Americans SAY they own guns, compared to 25 percent in the 1994 study. (emphasis mine)

This relates directly to people who won't divulge whether or not they own guns, especially to strangers on the telephone. I have never been asked about gun ownership by any pollsters/survey takers, and wouldn't admit if I were.

[joe817]

Yup,

Like any other study, you have to take it with a great big grain of salt. Like a cow salt lick block !

[Middle Age Russ]

3% has an interesting ring to it...

Like Jusme, I think the study is flawed -- perhaps in several ways. I would question the number of guns reported, the number of gun owners reported and the distribution of gun owners between those who own more than three and those owning three or less.

[bblhd672]

Liberal/progressive/socialist dominated institutions of "higher learning" just shaping the facts to fit their agenda. They desperately hope to be right.

[allisji]

The numbers don't surprise me. Obviously, they are going after the shock factor of trying to make it look like such a small part of the population who own so many guns. I also agree with Jusme and some of the others who suggest the data may be a little skewed by folks who don't admit to private gun ownership. For example there are probably lots of folks who own guns illegally because of past criminal charges or whatever they would never admit to owning a gun.

I also think that it's interesting that they drew a line at 8 or more firearms. My guess that that would be setting the bar a little low for many of the users on this forum. But I actually do now own 8. So does that make me a 3%er?

[C-dub]

What guns? I ain't got no guns. Those things are dangerous. They just go off sometimes all by themselves.

[txglock21]

The numbers don't surprise me. Obviously, they are going after the shock factor of trying to make it look like such a small part of the population who own so many guns. I also agree with Jusme and some of the others who suggest the data may be a little skewed by folks who don't admit to private gun ownership. For example there are probably lots of folks who own guns illegally because of past criminal charges or whatever they would never admit to owning a gun.

I also think that it's interesting that they drew a line at 8 or more firearms. My guess that that would be setting the bar a little low for many of the users on this forum. But I actually do now own 8. So does that make me a 3%er?

Eight? I have that many in just one gun cabinet....Er, I mean, I don't own ANY guns!

[allisji]

The numbers don't surprise me. Obviously, they are going after the shock factor of trying to make it look like such a small part of the population who own so many guns. I also agree with Jusme and some of the others who suggest the data may be a little skewed by folks who don't admit to private gun ownership. For example there are probably lots of folks who own guns illegally because of past criminal charges or whatever they would never admit to owning a gun.

I also think that it's interesting that they drew a line at 8 or more firearms. My guess that that would be setting the bar a little low for many of the users on this forum. But I actually do now own 8. So does that make me a 3%er?

Eight? I have that many in just one gun cabinet....Er, I mean, I don't own ANY guns!

One day, hopefully many many years from now, my dad will pass along his collection to his three kids. That day, my collection will triple.

[Jusme]

The numbers don't surprise me. Obviously, they are going after the shock factor of trying to make it look like such a small part of the population who own so many guns. I also agree with Jusme and some of the others who suggest the data may be a little skewed by folks who don't admit to private gun ownership. For example there are probably lots of folks who own guns illegally because of past criminal charges or whatever they would never admit to owning a gun.

I also think that it's interesting that they drew a line at 8 or more firearms. My guess that that would be setting the bar a little low for many of the users on this forum. But I actually do now own 8. So does that make me a 3%er?

Yep! regular outlaw, non-conformist!!

There are more than 3% of the people in Texas who are LTC holders, I know at least 25 more people (off the top of my head) that are gun owners, who are not LTC holders, and I'll bet each one of the other LTC holders, know that many or more. Add in the fact that NICS has only been around for less than 30 years, and those who owned guns before that aren't even counted. and I would put the numbers closer to 45%-50% and that is a conservative estimate.
If Hellery plans on confiscating guns from only 3%, she will be in for a big surprise. If she thinks we are deplorable now, just wait.

[Beiruty]

I am one of the deplorable too. Long live the 2ndA

[Jago668]

It wouldn't surprise me if the 3% was fairly accuracte. That is 9.6 million people. It isn't that difficult to imagine each of them owning 13 to 14 guns each. My stepfather before he died owned that many and he wasn't really a gun person. There are probably some people on this board that double the 13-14 number.

As far as them picking 8+ guns. You certainly don't want to pick 3 as the number since that hits just a single pistol, rifle, and shotgun which is fairly common. Even double at 6 is just 2 of each which isn't uncommon. So they picked a number high enough to drop the percentage down, but not a number so high that the percentage of guns owned as a whole is too small. If you picked like 15 guns then you would go to (as purely made up numbers) say 0.5% of the population owns 15% of the guns. Which doesn't have the look they are wanting. So you look at where you get 50% of guns owned and pick that number.

Now I'm curious how they got people to answer the questions. If someone called me asking if I owned guns and how many I would hang up on them. Letter in the mail, it would get thrown away. A person would get ignored, or the door shut in their face if at my apartment.

[txglock21]

Even if it is 3%, which I doubt, that number has to be growing because just off the top of my head, I know three people (all women) who never owned a gun before have all got a least one in the last year. My ex-wife (2), my ex-stepdaughter (2) and even my 70 year old sainted mother (1). And the first two are in the process of getting their LTC.

[Jusme]

I think it all goes back to the validity of the study. Most gun owners, are very aware f the left's position, on gun bans, registries, background checks, and outright confiscation. So I would bet that only 3% of gun owners actually answered the question(s) truthfully. I would not tell anyone my ownership status, so if they want to believe that there are only 9.4 million people in America, with guns, so be it.

During World War II, the Japanese would not invade mainland US, because they feared " a rifle behind every blade of grass" I guess left wing Harvard folks aren't so smart.

[nimravus01]

Hey, maybe we can use that to our advantage, and get minority status.