How many gun owners in America?

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pax

New member
I keep stumbling over news articles claiming there aren't that many, and RKBA sites claiming there are. Dunno and don't much care about the actual numbers, guess it depends who's spinning 'em. ("Lies, dam*ed lies, and statistics.")

What I want to know is if anyone can give me a legitimate reason why anyone should care how many gun owners there are.

If possessing the means of self defense is a fundamental human right, what does it matter how many people there are who choose to excercise that right?

If it's not a fundamental human right, we might as well hand in our guns now. Easier that way.

pax

"If the personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution inhibit the government's ability to govern the people, we should look to limit those guarantees." -- Bill Clinton
 
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SAGewehr

New member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
"If the personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution inhibit the government's ability to govern the people, we should look to limit those guarantees." -- Bill Clinton[/quote]

Where in God's name did this come from?! Is there a quotable source? This is really scary; albeit not surprising, coming from Klinton.
 
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bookkie

New member
"What I want to know is if anyone can give me a legitimate reason why anyone should care how many gun owners there are."

PAX, you can not look to legitimate reasons. You have to look at propaganda. The reasoning goes if the gun owners are a miniority (small group) and the vast majority of the people want gun control then the majority should have their way. In most peoples mind this reasoning gives them the feeling of being in the right, regardless if it is or not. Even if this is a lie and there are actually more gun owners than not... if the people believe the lie, they still obtain the right to pass gun laws, in the minds of our elected officals.



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Richard

The debate is not about guns,
but rather who has the ultimate power to rule,
the People or Government.
RKBA!
 
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Danger Dave

New member
The Clinton quote came from an interview on MTV. That's not exactly the way I recall it.
It was something about us having a radical constitution that gave a radical amount of freedom, and we have to look at limiting those freedoms.

That'll keep ya up tonight! ;)
 
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Scott Evans

Staff Alumnus
Below are parts of a report that was included in my business plan.


Number of hand guns manufactured in the US each year
According to ATF, there were 1,484,477 handguns manufactured in 1996, 1,722,830 in 1995, 2,581,961 in 1994, and 2,655,478 in 1993. On average 2.1 million new hand guns are manufactured and sold each year in the US. It is estimated that there are more than 192,000,000 Firearms dispersed among 44,000,000 owners at any given time in the United States.

Number of sworn Law officers in the United States in 1996 (latest published #’s)

TYPE NUMBER OF AGENCIES NUMBER OF FULLTIME SWORN OFFICERS
Local Police 13,578 410,956
Sheriff 3,088 152,922
Primary State Police 49 54,587
Special Police 1,316 43,082
Texas Constable 738 1,988
Federal (non-military authorized to carry firearms and make arrests.) 74,493

TOTAL 738,028
Source: U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics

The above figures are from 1996 (the latest available to date) with current number estimated to be above 800,000 full-time law enforcement Officers.

Concealed Cary Weapons Permit holders (CCW)
To date 40 States issue to civilians Concealed Carry Weapons permits. Holders of such permits are legally permitted to carry handguns concealed. Each will purchase at least one holster for each handgun they own. No national figures exist to date on the exact number of such CCW permits that have been issued however, Florida reports nearly 400,000 have been issued to date in that State alone!
Civilian gun owners
42% of men own guns; 9% of women own guns. Gun ownership, and handgun ownership, was highest among middle aged, college-educated people of rural and small town America.



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“This is my rifle, there many like it but this one is mine …”
 
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pax

New member
Sorry, guys, I haven't been able to get into this forum for awhile -- something wrong with the server?

I don't have a specific source for that quote. Would that I did!

If anyone has the specifics, please post.

Thanks,

pax

"I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant." -- H. L. Mencken
 
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SAGewehr

New member
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by pax:


If possessing the means of self defense is a fundamental human right, what does it matter how many people there are who choose to excercise that right?

If it's not a fundamental human right, we might as well hand in our guns now. Easier that way.

[/quote]

Since the concept of "fundamental" rights is rather subjective, we should think of our rights as "property"; we have "property" in our opinions; they are ours. We have property in our life, our liberty, and our pursuit of happiness." Do we have clear title to this property? I think we do. Ergo, nobody can take our property from us, however dimly they view our "fundamental" need for it. I have a right to keep and bear arms; whether anyone thinks this right is fundamental or not is irrelevant; it is MY right, and you may not take it. As James Madison said, "In a word, as a man is said to have a right to his property, he may equally be said to have property in his rights." ("The Papers of James Madison" UVA 1983).


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Scott

When A annoys or injures B on the pretext of saving or improving X, A is a scoundrel. - H. L. Mencken
 
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Dead

New member
Arent "Federal Police" not allowed under the Constitution? I mean it doesnt allow a standing army to police to the people.. Well isnt a federal police force a standing army (43000+ strong)?? Also they use the National Guard, well arent they a "Federal" standing army once they are called up?

Let me know what you guy/gals think about this.

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-AoW[t]-Dead [Black Ops]
 
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Byron

New member
The question should not be how many or what proportion of PEOPLE are gun owners. The key statistic is the number or proportion of HOUSEHOLDS that contain at least one gun. As far as self-defense is concerned, although only one person in a household of five may own a gun, all five have an interest in the gun being available.
 
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