From your friends at CSGV:
David Frum and the rest of the Antis keep beating the tired old drum that we are an insignificant majority. But for argument’s sake, let’s play with their own numbers, shall we?
The number of households owning guns has declined from almost 50% in 1973 to just over 32% in 2010, according to a 2011 study produced by The University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center. The number of gun owners has gone down almost 10% over the same period, the report found
So got my Google-Fu skills out, did some searches plus added math and here is what i got:
The number Households in the US according to U.S. Census Bureau (2010): 114,800,000. A “little over” 32% would be about 37,000,000 households with guns or 9.5 guns per household. Let’s say that every household has 100 rounds of ammunition for all 9.5 gun or 10 rounds per gun (incredible miniscule amount, it is usually considered 100 rounds per firearm) that makes it 3.7 billion rounds of ammunition in the hands of civilians right this second.
From 2008 to 2012, close to 57 million firearms were sold to US Citizens. Again let’s set a ridiculous low average price for guns of $500 a piece which gives us $28.5 billion dollars which is bigger than the average annual individual budget for half the States in the Union.
Back again to household numbers; the U.S. Census Bureau states that the average household contains 2.6 people. That makes it 96,200,000 individuals owning 350,000,000 firearms (3 guns per individual) and 35 billion rounds.
Again according to U.S. Census Bureau, Florida has 7,140,096 households. Again using the 32% household with guns stat, we get 2,284,830.72 armed households or 5,940,559 Floridians with at least 3 guns each and a grand total of 1.7 billion rounds of ammunition at their disposal. The active military of US, China & Russia combined make up for 4,797,219 individuals.
Basically, if we were the violent, bloodthirsty, insurrectionist nutjobs that the Gun Control Advocates portray us to be, Florida alone could take over the DC, NY & Boston corridor over the weekend and be back to work on Monday. But we just don’t want to subject Canada to that huge influx of politicians on the run.
Coimhead fearg fhear na foighde
Just saying.
But if CNN did the analysis it must be true…right?
And they are once again confusing RATE with numbers. So the rate of ownership declined from 50% to 32%. You’ve already broken down the numbers using the 2010 census. Let’s go back to the 1970 census then, shall we?
(numbers source from here: http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/files/table-2.pdf)
The total number of households in the 1970 census was 10,377,958. With 50% of those households owning guns, that means there were just under 5.2M households with guns (5,188,979).
37M compared to 5.2M?
Yeah, the RATE has decreased from 50% to 32%, but the NUMBER of households with guns has increased 711%. We can set aside the discussions about population diaspora and the like.
It just goes to show once again that there are lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Well said
You read the wrong column, actual grown of households with guns grew about 7-10%, which still counts for a lot of people.
More people with guns, but a less % of people with guns. Either way, CSGV is wrong. Gun owners are increasing, while non gun owners are increasing, while the population is increasing.
Well, aren’t I an idiot. You’re right, I did read the wrong column. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why you include links to your sources, so that people can check your math.
So, let’s correct my information.
The total number of households in the 1970 censue was 68,704,315, and with a 50% ownership rate that equates to guns in 34,352,158 households.
The comparison still holds that more households today have guns (37M) than they did in 1970 (34M), but the increase is only around 9% ([37-34]/34), not the 711% I mistakenly reported earlier.
And, that brings Alan’s comment even further into play, because I would absolutely bet dollars to donuts that the current ownership rate is under reported.
I question the survey numbers. How many gun owners would say anything besides, “None of your business” when asked if they own guns and how many?
You remember when the Mayors back then were looking for list of gun owners and NRA Members to sue for “medical expenses”?
My answer is usually a blank stare or a deep silence or both.
Also, it is done by Chicago. Indiana is the buffer zone between me and Chicago and if/when Chicago invades Indiana, I plan on helping Indiana defend itself, therefore I would never tell Chicago if I had guns or not. It’s like telling China who has guns. A bad idea all around.
Exactly right Alan. I did not own a gun in the 1970s (too young), but in the current environment I would not tell someone I did not trust. Tell an idiot on the phone or a mail in survey…you have got to be kidding me!
So, let’s see. How to lie with statistics, Gun Control edition.
US gun owners represent less than 1% of the world population.
World population: 6,973,738,500 (approx 2011)
US Population: 311,800,000 (approx 2011)
The entire US population represents less then 5% of the world population (approx. 4.47%)
The intent of stating US gun owners only represent a piddling 1% or less of the world population is obviously an attempt to make the reader think the gun owning population is an insignificant blip on the radar.
When placed in perspective, the entire US population is the insignificant blip on the radar.
Now, we can expect some liberal/progressive/democrat politician to start spouting out how gun owners only represent 1% of the population. I have no doubt it will happen.
They are the 99%……………..and we have been practicing for the Zombie Apocalypse 😉
Not even Vegas would take odds on that
[…] Fewer people own guns. I can see how you’d think that, if you were retarded. […]
What they will never, ever, understand about gun owners and liberty-minded folks is that it doesn’t matter to us one gorram bit. The whole lot of 7.067 billion people on this Earth could decide to live without guns… and I’d be keeping mine. I don’t care what the other 7,066,999,999 of ya’ll do.
They really can’t understand I think. They think in a collective manner and we think as individuals.
I always lie or withhold information on surveys or the census anyway, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. On my census long form, I said 3 people lived here (which was true) but nothing else. They finally gave up trying to get any more out of me.
I did the same thing, entered “one person,” and scratched out the rest with “none of your business.” Couple months later, I was woken up by an insistent knocking/pounding at the door (worked nights, so was asleep in daylight). I had no idea who it was, or what they wanted, so when I answered the door in my skivvies, I had a Glock in one hand, tucked away and hidden behind my leg, and I didn’t open the door very far, just enough to stick my head out.
Halfway through her rather energetic spiel about “These are government forms and it’s extremely important you fill out EVERYTHING on them!”, the middle-aged census worker suddenly stopped in her tracks, got big eyes, and almost fell over herself backing off the porch. Once I’d woken up enough to figure out WHY she’d suddenly panicked, I had myself a good old horselaugh at her expense. If she’d not been bobbing back and forth trying to see past me into my house, she probably would never have been at the proper angle to see the pistol, which I was still holding behind my leg, pointed at the floor, as I had nowhere to set it down while she talked at me.
I never heard anything more from the Census Bureau.
Heard a S&W exec on Gun Talk tell Tom Gresham that warranty registration data on their M&P pistol line alone shows about 35% first-time gun buyers.
And that is from those who remember to do a warranty registration…