Is Gun Ownership Increasing Among Americans?

[melensdad]

I know that gun sales have been booming.

But are MORE people buying guns? By this I mean is the PERCENTAGE of Americans who owns guns going up?

Can anyone provide me with any links to websites that SPECIFICALLY show that the ranks of gun owners are growing?

 

[wtfd661]

I hope so. I don't have any links or proof for you, but I do know several people who shocked me when they said they wanted to get a gun. The same people who before the election would have never dreamed of it. I'm sure others have the same story.

 

[Mgderf]

Boom in Gun Sales Fueled by Politics and the Economy - TIME

Don't know how much stock I'd put in Time's reporting, but this is consistent with other articles I've read on the subject.

Seems women are among the fastest growing demographic of gun owners.

 

[00BlasterResto]

Not sure about the whole world or anything, but as far as the people I know I would believe that it is.
My Mother is now a gun owner for the first time in her 50 years, 2 of her freinds have followed, by purchasing handguns since she got hers for Christmas.
A freinds dad, long time owner, but has recently decided that he will carry from now on.
Several people I grew up with have become gun owners, however that could be contributed to the coming of age.
Anyway, just as a feeling I think that more people are becomeing gun owners. It also seems to be getting more widely accepted than I had experienced in the past, people seem to understand why you would feel the need to protect yourself these days. this could just be me getting older though and not getting the juvenile "Don't touch those" thing.
I'll be interested to see if there is any good studies that would show weather ownership is actually on the rise, or as you said if owners are just buying more of them.

 

[melensdad]

Well I'm in a debate and I need FACTUAL information.

We all know that sales are up, but I can't find out if sales are up to NEW buyers or to EXISTING owners or to BOTH.

 

[Mgderf]

I personally know at least a half dozen NEW gun owners in the past 6 months alone.
More than that if you count the Crickets we gave away here at Christmas time!

I have a niece and a nephew that are now new owners. I also know of 3-4 women that have made their first purchases in the past 6 months.

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

Good question - the sociologist in me will do a study. Give me three months to get a study done and I'll have extrapolatable, empirical data for, say, the city of Evansville.

If you need the answer faster than that... well, I'm not your guy.

 

[Deet]

Since we don't register our guns when we purchase them, just how exactly can we ever get factual data for you. No National data base, so all we can really qoute is heresay, WAGS, and opinions. My opinion is since Ruger was turning out a new LCP every 52 seconds and still couldn't meet demand, I'd say that gun ownership is growing.

 

[LEaSH]

Gun shop owners would be the best collective source for this kind of info.

I have no idea how you can get them to willingly help answer a questionnaire or survey.

They are the ones that deal with people (legitimates) more than anyone else.

 

[Bisley Man]

Sorry, melensdad,I don't have a link to FACTS. But on TV and in person I hear gun dealers talk much of first time buyers. This can only be good for us, and the training industry.

 

[muncie21]

Because there are no gun purchase databases, to obtain this info, I believe that you'll need to optain indirect data to support or refute the conclusion. Some things I would suggest looking into are:
1) # of new CC permits/licenses (nation wide) that are being requested. One could surmise that a conditional factor to requesting a CC permit is that you have obtained a handgun. Of course the opposing side could argue that you have always had a gun and only now chose to request a CC permit.
2) % percentage increase in gun range membership. This would be more of a casual indicator.

 

[trad78]

Just throwing my .02 in, I'm a first time owner. Next week, my wife will join the ranks.

 

[Tactical Dave]

I think every time the word's "gun control" are mentioned by a president the precentage goes up.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I know that gun sales have been booming.

But are MORE people buying guns? By this I mean is the PERCENTAGE of Americans who owns guns going up?

Can anyone provide me with any links to websites that SPECIFICALLY show that the ranks of gun owners are growing?

Absolutely. How many people have a first-hand account of somebody approaching them and asking about buying their first gun? In the last 1 1/2 years I've seen several accounts of this posted on here, and just this past weekend my uncle shocked me. He came up to me and said, "I've never been a gun owner because I never saw the need to, but I'm going to become one now. How do I get my license to carry a handgun?" Apparently he sees a need. He is a conservative that is always at the top of his politics and other current information. He wasn't opposed to guns, I guess he just never saw the need for him to have one until now. We always have great conversations when I go to work at the farm shop while visiting my parents (he rents the house located at our family farm).

Anyways, from the response to this thread, and the several other instances, I think it would be a reasonable assumption to say that it is happening all over the country and the percentage is growing. Although I doubt we're converting a lot of anti's to pro-gunners. I think it is more likely that pro-gun people that didn't own guns before are now becoming gun-owners. It takes more than a political climate and small increases in crime to convert an anti.

 

[Expat]

So it appears melensdad that all anyone can offer is anecdotal evidence. I did some googling and that is all I could find, stories about gun purchase rates up, carry permits up, etc. So you can make some inference I suppose. Actual gun ownership rates apparently have not been polled recently (early 2009 seems to be most recent Public Takes Conservative Turn on Gun Control, Abortion: Overview - Pew Research Center for the People & the Press), if so they haven't been reported unless someone's kung fu is stronger than mine.