Just How Many Gun Owners Are There?

[smoking357]

As I look at the future of gun ownership, I get worried. Here are some thoughts and notes.

51% of the population is female, and I'd say that no better than 5% of women own guns.

These are the top 25 markets in the US, and all in red voted for Obama.

1 PPM BH S/PPM New York 15,669,500
2 PPM BH S/PPM Los Angeles 10,999,100
3 PPM BH S/PPM Chicago 7,862,200
4 PPM BH S/PPM San Francisco 6,145,800
5 PPM BH S/PPM Dallas-Ft. Worth 5,216,100
6 PPM BH S/PPM Houston-Galveston 4,815,700
7 PPM BH S/PPM Atlanta 4,413,800
8 PPM BH S/PPM Philadelphia 4,357,600
9 PPM BH S/PPM Washington, DC 4,279,900
10 PPM BH S/PPM Boston 3,977,400
11 PPM B S/PPM Detroit 3,831,100
12 PPM BH S/PPM Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood 3,580,000
13 PPM BH S/PPM Seattle-Tacoma 3,390,900
14 4S QD Puerto Rico 3,344,200
15 PPM BH S/PPM Phoenix 3,300,300
16 PPM B S/PPM Minneapolis-St. Paul 2,712,500
17 PPM BH S/PPM San Diego 2,578,900
18 PPM BH S/PPM Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island) 2,439,800
19 PPM BH S/PPM Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 2,379,300
20 PPM BH S/PPM Denver-Boulder 2,336,100
21 PPM B S/PPM St. Louis 2,308,100
22 PPM B S/PPM Baltimore 2,261,000
23 PPM H S/PPM Portland, OR 2,106,200
24 4S BH S Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill 2,008,600
25 PPM B S/PPM Pittsburgh, PA 1,979,400

Half of the country's 310 million people lives in the Top-50 markets in the
U.S.

70% lives in an urban area.

Major metro areas have less gun owners and fewer shooting opportunities than rural areas.

Whites own guns and shoot in percentages greater than any other race.

Whites will be a minority in the U.S. in 30 years.

The blue states can decide every Presidential election, from now on, by themselves.

This will only be made stronger by the 2010 Census.

There may never be another Republican President.

The Republican Party is adding virtually no new voters.

Non-white races have huge portions of their populations that have been rendered criminally ineligible to own guns.

How many likely gun owners currently exist? Is it even 25% of the population?

How many regular shooters currently exist? I doubt even 1% of gun owners fires a shot, every month.

How many shooting opportunities exist for people who live in big cities?

At your gun club, what is the age distribution?

What percentage of high schools have shooting sports?

What percentage of parents buy a child a gun as a birthday or Christmas present?

What percentage of parents take their children to the gun range?

As the country becomes more urban and less white, how long is it until our current manner of gun ownership comes under regular and serious attack?

Future generations may see Heller and McDonald as the 'good old days' for gun rights.

 

[baldguy637]

This post just enforces that we as gun owners not only should, but need to do our part in introducing new shooters to the sport. All my childrens friends know when they come over, that as long as i'm not working, i'll be glad to take them out with the .22's and put a thousand rounds or so down range. Two of my stepsons buddys are even planning on deer hunting this year with us this fall. I've always said that I'll gladly spend $25 a week to know my kids are staying out of trouble and enjoying the sport they love.

 

[6birds]

Flame on!

As I look at the future of gun ownership, I get worried. Here are some thoughts and notes.

51% of the population is female, and I'd say that no better than 5% of women own guns.

These are the top 25 markets in the US, and all in red voted for Obama.

1 PPM BH S/PPM New York 15,669,500
2 PPM BH S/PPM Los Angeles 10,999,100
3 PPM BH S/PPM Chicago 7,862,200
4 PPM BH S/PPM San Francisco 6,145,800
5 PPM BH S/PPM Dallas-Ft. Worth 5,216,100
6 PPM BH S/PPM Houston-Galveston 4,815,700
7 PPM BH S/PPM Atlanta 4,413,800
8 PPM BH S/PPM Philadelphia 4,357,600
9 PPM BH S/PPM Washington, DC 4,279,900
10 PPM BH S/PPM Boston 3,977,400
11 PPM B S/PPM Detroit 3,831,100
12 PPM BH S/PPM Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood 3,580,000
13 PPM BH S/PPM Seattle-Tacoma 3,390,900
14 4S QD Puerto Rico 3,344,200
15 PPM BH S/PPM Phoenix 3,300,300
16 PPM B S/PPM Minneapolis-St. Paul 2,712,500
17 PPM BH S/PPM San Diego 2,578,900
18 PPM BH S/PPM Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island) 2,439,800
19 PPM BH S/PPM Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 2,379,300
20 PPM BH S/PPM Denver-Boulder 2,336,100
21 PPM B S/PPM St. Louis 2,308,100
22 PPM B S/PPM Baltimore 2,261,000
23 PPM H S/PPM Portland, OR 2,106,200
24 4S BH S Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill 2,008,600
25 PPM B S/PPM Pittsburgh, PA 1,979,400

Half of the country's 310 million people lives in the Top-50 markets in the
U.S.

70% lives in an urban area.

Major metro areas have less gun owners and fewer shooting opportunities than rural areas.

Whites own guns and shoot in percentages greater than any other race.

Whites will be a minority in the U.S. in 30 years.

The blue states can decide every Presidential election, from now on, by themselves.

This will only be made stronger by the 2010 Census.

There may never be another Republican President.

The Republican Party is adding virtually no new voters.

Non-white races have huge portions of their populations that have been rendered criminally ineligible to own guns.

How many likely gun owners currently exist? Is it even 25% of the population?

How many regular shooters currently exist? I doubt even 1% of gun owners fires a shot, every month.

How many shooting opportunities exist for people who live in big cities?

At your gun club, what is the age distribution?

What percentage of high schools have shooting sports?

What percentage of parents buy a child a gun as a birthday or Christmas present?

What percentage of parents take their children to the gun range?

As the country becomes more urban and less white, how long is it until our current manner of gun ownership comes under regular and serious attack?

Future generations may see Heller and McDonald as the 'good old days' for gun rights.

 

[Jon Craig]

Just How Many Gun Owners Are There?

(numberofcitizens - numberofgunowners) too few.

 

[Jay]

It doesn't matter. The pacifists who advocate not fighting for anything will have us all succumb to any perceived threat, instead of defending ouselves. After all, you get a friggin' medal for NOT defending yourself, right.......?

 

[LawDog76]

Just How Many Gun Owners Are There?

Two males and two females in this household as of now. I'll be adding another as soon as my youngest boy ages a bit.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

My teenager "owns" a weapon of his own and an LTCH, if required at the time, will be his 18th birthday present from my wifey and I.

My 20-something year old step-son has his papers in the mail to the state as I write this, paid for by wifey and I.

My B-I-L and his wifey have their LTCHs and have two sons (teen and pre-teen), all whom shoot regularly. From the way that my B-I-L has spoken in the past and recent past, he will do something similar to obtain LTCHs for his children when they reach legal age.

A S-I-L just lost her husband to suicide in early April of this year. Due to a conflict (dislike of funeral plans) with her husband's family members, they (his family) issued several threats against my S-I-L. Along with going the legal route my S-I-L and her teen daughter went to a firearm range this past weekend with my B-I-L (mentioned above) for both of them to become accustomed to firearms to enhance their personal safety, and the S-I-L has per papers in the mail to the state for her LTCH. She said that she was going to obtain the permit for her daughter when she reaches legal age.

I am a member of a Conservation Club that sponsors shooting events for children to (safely) introduce them to firearms. I have physically helped with this in addition to donating money specifically to that cause to help grow a new generation of firearm owners/users.

I have done what I have partly because of the misinformation that was spread in my step-son's school years and the continuing misinformation spread during my younger son's years.

 

[CW9]

I am doing my part. Got my father into shooting, my roommate, and my roommates brother into shooting in the past few months. It also looks like I got a few more buddies on the verge of getting into it. It seems that most people don't realize how easy it is to get into and how surprisingly cheap it can be. All its takes and just one range trip and most people are hooked.

 

[smoking357]

I am doing my part. Got my father into shooting, my roommate, and my roommates brother into shooting in the past few months. It also looks like I got a few more buddies on the verge of getting into it. It seems that most people don't realize how easy it is to get into and how surprisingly cheap it can be. All its takes and just one range trip and most people are hooked.

Well, it ain't cheap, and we need to reinforce just how cool shooting a .22 is.

A serviceable .22 handgun is $250, and a brick of ammo is $20. Add in range time and gear, and there is an appreciable cash outlay to get into the sport. I've just described the cheapest way to go.

We absolutely cannot tell newcomers that it's not fun unless they're shooting a .40, or better.

 

[ddenny5]

You might be suprised at the number of people that do own firearms especially women. Women owning firearms is on the rise.

 

[AFA1CY]

Another question is how many that own firearms really "use" them, or how many are setting in a closet?

 

[shooter521]

Another question is how many that own firearms really "use" them, or how many are setting in a closet?

Or come out once a year for hunting?

I have long opined that there is a big distinction between being a "gun owner" and being a "shooter". My brother in CT is a gun owner, but I don't think he's pulled the trigger in at least a couple years. If I didn't insist on taking him to the range whenever he came back to visit, the interval would be even longer.

 

[Jon Craig]

Good point. There's a lot of reasons people own guns. Collecting, hunting, target/competition, and of course... defense.