Fewer and Fewer Americans Own Guns

[wvit1001]

Household gun ownership in America is on a steady, long-term decline.
That's according to data from the latest edition of the General Social Survey (GSS), which is conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.

The GSS has been surveying American households on gun ownership since 1972. As NORC notes, "Except for the U.S. Census, the GSS is the most frequently analyzed source of information in the social sciences." The NORC data shows that American household gun ownership hit its peak in 1977, when more than half of American households (53.7 percent) reported having any guns. By 2014, only 32.4 percent of American households had a gun in the home -- less than a third.






A similar trend can be seen in the decline in personal gun ownership. The GSS finds that the percentage of Americans who reported personally owning a gun dropped more than 26 percent from 1985 to 2014. In 1985, 30.5 percent of Americans said they personally owned a gun. The percentage is now down to 22.4 percent, or a little more than one in five.

Not surprisingly, most gun owners tend to be white men who live outside cities.

And as gun owners age and die off, the efforts of the NRA and its financial backers in the gun industry to find "young guns" have been less than successful.

In 1980, 23.5 percent of those under 35 owned a gun while 27.4 percent of those 65 years of age and older owned a gun, an age gap of 3.9 percentage points. By 2014, this gap had expanded to 16.4 percentage points, with gun ownership dropping to 14 percent among those under 35 and increasing to 30.4 percent for those 65 years of age and older.

And so far, the movement-wide effort to significantly increase gun ownership among women -- the NRA and gun industry's Holy Grail -- has failed.

The facts are these. A clear majority -- two thirds -- of Americans don't have guns in their homes. Almost four out of five Americans don't personally own a gun. And as the gun-owning population continues to age and die off, fewer Americans are taking their place.

These numbers terrify the NRA and their "corporate partners" in the gun industry but should offer hope for the majority of Americans who are tired of being held hostage by the gun lobby and firearms industry.

[DaBoz]

How can that possibly be true.

http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=704538

http://www.ammoland.com/2013/02/gun-ownership-at-all-time-high-nations-murder-rate-at-nearly-all-time-low/#axzz3asULfLus

[sweetwater5s9]

We also have 100 million more people living in the U.S. due to immigration laws since the late 60's-70's.   Few hunt in our urban centers except criminals.   

Rural and semi-rural areas have not changed its gun ownership numbers but have actually increased.

[Byteryder]

Probably just reflecting Urban migration and swelling population of Felons and Crazies.

[wvit1001]

Other than me, the guy across the street, and the police officer a couple of houses down from me I don't know anyone on my street with a gun in their home.

[sweetwater5s9]

Why should you?  I wouldn't let you know either if I lived on your street.

[wvit1001]

so, why wouldn't you think this drop in gun ownership isn't true sweaty?  you haven't said.

[sweetwater5s9]

We also have 100 million more people living in the U.S. due to immigration laws since the late 60's-70's.   Few hunt or shoot in our urban centers except criminals.   

Rural and semi-rural areas have not changed its gun ownership numbers but have actually increased.

[wvit1001]

no the gun ownership numbers haven't increased sweaty.  now you've been reduced to just making things up again.

[Dan]

As long as the good guys still have guns I'm fine with that.

[bhsgrad1972]

I don't believe you, wvit1001.

I know a LOT of people who have guns, and several who have bought guns in the past 6 1/2 years - mostly people WHO DID NOT PREVIOUSLY OWN GUNS.

[sweetwater5s9]

Gun Ownership in U.S. Is Highest Since 1993 - Gallup.

Also:

This increase in weapons sales comes at a time when the gun industry was already showing record sales. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the industries economic impact rose from $6.8 billion in 2008 to $13.6 billion in 2011.

New Jersey gun sellers have been doing a brisk business over the past few years, reflecting a larger national trend of increased firearm ownership.

And it doesn't look like gun sales are slowing down any time soon.

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System saw a 25 percent increase over last year.

More and more Americans are opting to exercise their Second Amendment rights, driving up domestic firearms sales and interest in shooting sports, which is good news for manufacturers and dealers.

Driving these record numbers are first-time purchasers.