http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2016/03/nics-background-checks-indicate-record.html?m=1 IMHO Billy Clinton made people sensitive to the politics of gun control via the AWB. Weapon purchases are going up and new ownership is growing. My 2 cents, restrictions on 2nd amendment rights will fall away rapidly in gun friendly states and more slowly in those bastions of anti-gun sentiment.
While interesting to note, those that refuse to admit that the rate of firearms ownership is indeed increasing, will merely claim that those who already own firearms are simply buying more of them, based on surveys where respondents did not admit to total strangers who selected them at random that they owned a firearm.
I'd like to see the rate of first-time purchases--this is the key to preserving the second amendment. I'm not sure if it is keeping pace or exceeding population growth, though I'd love to see the numbers. The gun rights advocacy groups need to be focusing on the Hispanic community and young people. Personally, I'm not as optimistic as you guys are. I want to see gun purchases by age and relative to the population--if the stats on millennials are any indication, the second amendment is NOT safe in the next 20 years. Many of these purchases are undoubtedly the same people buying more guns. My uncle probably has around 50 or 60, for example.
As a CCL instructor for my state I purposefully ask my classes. Around 8 to 10 percent are new gun owners with about half of that being women. That's not a scientific poll by any means but I ask other instructors and the ones who tend to ask the same question get generally the same result. Most gun owners are not going to answer poll questions so it may be very tough to get the info you asked for. - - - Updated - - - The NRA is pleased and society is safer. Best of both worlds when firearms ownership grows.
How, then, do you explain the phenomenon we are seeing, where more gun sales are occurring, AND society is becoming safer?
Depends on who you believe, but it is a fact that gun sales have been skyrocketing while violent crime is decreasing contrary to the perception being created by the media... http://www.cnsnews.com/commentary/cnsnewscom-staff/more-guns-less-gun-violence-between-1993-and-2013 http://www.breitbart.com/big-govern...elated-with-less-crime-in-first-half-of-2014/ Bit older chart, but still interesting...
I choose to believe the FBI's Uniform Crime Report. But you're dead-on correct about the media. No reasonable person, from only listening to the mainstream media, could come to any logical conclusion other than violent crime is at epidemic levels, and availability of so-called "assault weapons" are at the core of this epidemic. The truth, of course, is exactly the opposite, as is borne out by FBI data; we are statistically safer than we have ever been, and scary-looking rifles are involved in almost no crimes. The problem with the fact that the media-generated "general perception" is polar opposite from "the truth", is that people VOTE based on their general perceptions. When you have the media purposefully deceiving the public and creating these sensational false perceptions based on bold-faced lies, and rooted in 'ratings before truth', The People, out of false outrage, pressure their representatives to enact legislation. Legislation that is based entirely on falsehoods and appeal to emotion, rather than logical analysis of the data. Legislation that would have no hope of being enacted but for the career-politician's fear of the wrath of his constituents at election day. The media has enormous power in molding the 'general perception' of the public, and thereby driving legislation.
Many people are ignorant of firearms, only knowing what they see reported in the News or television or movies, and much of that is incorrect, half truths or fiction. So you get people repeating stuff like nobody needs high capacity magazines or semiautomatic rifles, or needs handguns outside the home. For many years we have struggled with the deceitful tactics of gun control, hence why NRA membership of 6 Million people is pretty low considering the actual number of people owing guns in the U.S. these same people benefit from the NRA, however do not contribute much because of devisiveness, and tactics by the antigunners, the hunting crowd that does not support CCW or high capacity firearms, the niche gun owners, you can ban anything, just leave me my SxS shotgun and duck hunting ! This is why Anti gun and gun control advocates have so much power, you can't get our side to work together for the common good of all gun owners. The NRA has tried to do this, and as the famous saying goes; you can please some of the people, some of the time, however, you cannot please all of the people, all of the time ! Either the NRA gets accused of being too hardline and unyielding to "Reasonable" gun control, a true oxymoronic statement, or accused of collaboration with gun control advocates somehow.
I suggest that scare mongering of the press and that of the current Administration is not having the intended consequences in most states. As the perception levels of violent crime and domestic terrorism has increased and there is a rise in the calls for greater restrictions of firearms from those political opportunists wanting to make capital by creating the false perception they are doing something to combat 'the problem' and it appearing that the government is impotent in quelling the threat eminating from a false, political narrative, people respond by buying more firearms. While a handful of state polititians feel emboldened to vote to increase controls, far more are voting to relax ownership and carry legislation. The result hasn't been blood running in the streets and, despite what the media would have us believe, many have taken note. Last year was another record year for gun sales and in pro gun legislation and I predict this year will outpace the last.
The FBI, the chief law enforcement organization for the united states, has said otherwise. The number of privately owned firearms is between three hundred and five hundred million, with approximately forty one thousand more being added daily. Despite this fact, the violent crime rate for the united states has dropped to the lowest point it has been in half a century.
There is no doubt that the number of guns is increasing, but no evidence that this equates to a higher number of gun owners. Unless you able to supply such? Surveys suggesting otherwise - that the number of owners is declining - might indeed be affected by a reluctance to disclose ownership, but the same can be said of all gun ownership surveys, meaning that trends remain trends, regardless.
Shouldn't accurate graphs have accurate spelling. Looks like something you have quickly put together.
No evidence it's not either, records being set and you wanna say 'FOUL even thought there might be over a hundred million more gun in circulation when bama leaves office there were no new gun owners" Sheesh you people are crazy nuts in your assertions. please show me a survey that shows what you are saying is true without using the GSS survey or an article that links the to the GSS poll.
Anyone care to pull out a Crystal ball and adivinate how many guns were purchased mail order prior to 1968 that have never been registered ? since 1899 ? Just the mere amount of concealed carry permits is increasing, every day, yet that is a fraction of the people that actually carry if you count the growing number of States with Constitutional carry, most people lie to stupid surveys anyway, how is a survey even accurate when it comes to personal defense ?
Explain the fact that there is record attendance across the country in firearms safety classes. Firearms safety classes are mostly filled with first time gun owners. What about the fact that ammo manufacturers are reporting maximum output and can't keep up with demand? What about the explosion in shooting sports participation? What about the record wait times at shooting ranges everywhere? Taking in consideration the record number of gun sales each month, for many years now, existing gun owners would have to be hoarding guns by way more than polls are reporting on how many guns are owned by by each respondent for your theory to be true.
Kindly respond to what I actually said. Did I say that there were no new gun owners? No, I didn't. I said that there is "no evidence" that a higher number of guns equates to a higher number of gun owners. This is a mere statement of fact (the lack of evidence) which does not preclude the possibility that a proportion of guns are being purchased by new owners. Rather, that it is unknown (due to lack of evidence) if this is in fact the case, and to what extent. Again, you overreach with assumptions. I said surveys "suggest" that the number of gun owners has declined. Surveys rarely provide 100% certainty - the nature of the beast. And, some are considerably more credible than others, due to more scientific methodologies, etc., such as the GSS. Hence it is the second most referenced data source after the census. It's neither logical nor intellectually honest to dismiss a survey held in high regard and routinely referenced by government depts., agencies, policy makers, the CDC, scholars, etc. etc. as a reputable data source.
There is no evidence that more gun sales is making society less safe. Our murder rate is at historically low levels--the lowest it has been since the FBI started compiling it in 1960. Our violent crimes rate is at lower levels than it has been in the past 20-30 years.
There are many possible explanations for the above, including existing gun owners seeking to boost their skills/boost safe handling, the same people who are hoarding guns are hoarding ammunition, etc. And yes, the possibility that a proportion are new owners. But where's the data to support this possibility? Not at all. The article in the OP states that "By the end of his presidency, the number of private firearms in the U.S. will have increased by about one third, or about 106 million firearms." For the sake of argument, let's assume this is correct. If so, an increase of one-third is easily achieved - it's equivalent to every third gun owner buying an extra gun.
