TLDR: Public opinion polling has the number of households with guns in America as about 35-45%, depending on the poll. The number may be closer to 60% when this is cleverly investigated.
Turns out people lie on this issue, a lot. They asked people in a poll who said they don't own guns questions that are very highly correlated with gun ownership. The non-savvy respondents in the survey who said yes on all the highly correlated questions almost certainly, statistically speaking, own guns even though they said no in the survey. When you include those people as gun owners, the rate can go as high as 60% of homes.
.....a Rutgers University study published last month in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology indicates that the number of gun owners may be substantially undercounted. According to Rutgers researcher Allison Bond, one reason is because “some individuals are falsely denying firearm ownership, resulting in research not accurately capturing the experiences of all firearm owners in the U.S.” He added, “The implications of false denials of firearms ownership are substantial.” Bond concluded, “It may be that a percentage of firearm owners are concerned that their information will be leaked and the government will take their firearms or that researchers who are from universities that are typically seen as liberal and anti-firearm access will paint firearm owners in a bad light.”
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-023-02515-y
According to J.D. Tuccille (a libertarian stoner from Reason Magazine): “...the problem of dishonesty among survey respondents as pos(es) a danger to those surveyed since they don’t receive proper firearm safety information [say academics]. But [the reasearchers'] deeper concern is with the validity of research into firearms culture and policy in a country where experts don’t have anywhere near as good a handle on the prevalence of gun ownership as they had believed. …
Believe it or not, people are reluctant to tell total strangers about their potentially controversial activities....but such evasion is an inevitable consequence of decades of fiery debate and punitive gun policies.”
video: https://patriotpost.us/alexander/99460?mailing_id=7694
They only ever ask if you own a gun, or if there is a gun in the household. Maybe there is some survey where they ask how many or what type, but the Gallup polls and such don't ask that.
yeah the term "gun ownership" kind of misses the mark. A lot of people (my guess is millions nationwide) have an inherited old shotgun, 22, or hunting rifle that they don't even have ammunition for, don't know how to use, or even know if it works at all. Technically, they are a "gun owner" but it's a fucking paperweight for practical purposes.
Do you think the millions of people that have grandpa's old Remington in the closet, but don't go hunting themselves, want the government to come buy and take it?
I'd say they're insignificant for both sides of the issue.
I believe that you're wrong. If they didn't care about keeping them, then these people would have either voluntarily given them up or sold them for a quick buck at the local pawn shop, or sold them at a gun buy back. But those millions of guns are still sitting in closets, waiting for a grandkid who expresses an interest.
A gun not exposed to humidity, such as in an air conditioned house's closet, will last for centuries and still work.
Particularlly one conducted by a "University" that absolutely depends on staying on the good side of Government, in order to get those sweet Federal Grants.
Being appalachian I could have told you this.
Fucking tragic when people are killed by idiocy, like a child finding a loaded handgun.
But guns are such a core part of our heritage. From hunting to fighting, they are literally a way of life for people.
Then you got the city yuppies who are so scared of everything, they think weapons are inherently evil, when in reality its just a tool.
A very dangerous tool that should be respected. You dont leave industrial equipment laying around where kids can play with it do you?
These are the people that meat magically comes from a styrofoam tray in a supermarket.
Another angle on the same topic:
Americans bought almost 60 million guns during the pandemic (The Hill 4/21/2023)
I read this as part of why the Elite appear ever more desperate. At this rate, children are going to get guns before they get vaccinations, which I'm certain is exactly the opposite of what They want.
Same here, I won't even allow them in my house
I hide behind a car in case their finger is loaded
Sadly, I lost all my guns in a tragic canoe accident, some years ago.
And with the massive private ownership of firearms, it's only a very few violent niggers and white kids on psychotic prescription drugs that misuse the firearms.
Contrast that to government, which frequently and at a high rate misuses their firearms, escalates mild infractions to deadly standoffs, escalates disagreement or argument into deadly force, and is willing to murder you merely for questioning their authority under the law and their blatant violation of your freedom and individual rights. Police act funny if you tell them you have a firearm, as if it isn't your GOD GIVEN RIGHT. I've had many standoffs with police and nearly been shot merely for legally having a firearm on me at the time or even being disarmed but still arguing the police officer's actual reason for harassing me in a free world where i have natural rights and child of God..
I do believe in banning guns....For all government employees, politicians, and their security apparatus. Government is irresponsible with firearms and is the most violent organization on the planet. Every politician and bureaucrat should forfeit their right to possess a firearm, or be protected by anyone who does. Then let's see how often you lie through your teeth and try to impose unconstitutional bullshit laws on the people.