Some Interesting Tidbits About Guns

When it comes to guns, there’s a lot to know. Not even the most experienced shooters know everything. This guide with more than 100 facts about guns hopefully includes plenty of information you didn’t already know, to help you widen your knowledge and keep you informed.

Americans owning guns is so deeply ingrained in our society, thanks to the Second Amendment, that many people don’t think twice about it, while many others think something needs to change.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with guns, but it’s important that you know how to use and store it properly if you’re going to carry one.

Types Of Guns

There are more types of guns than we could possibly count in the amount of time we have here, but we can easily categorize them into three common groups and divide them by operation.

• Firearms are categorized into three groups: handguns, rifles, and shotguns.
• Types of handguns include revolvers and pistols.
• The most common type of handgun today is a semi-automatic.
• Rifles and shotguns are considered long guns.
• Rifles and shotguns are primarily used for hunting and sport shooting.
• Semi-automatic firearms fire one round every time you pull the trigger. It ejects the shell and then automatically loads another.
• A fully automatic firearm can fire multiple rounds with a single trigger pull.

Gun ownership is prevalent in the United States, but there are many different reasons why people choose to own guns. Whether it’s self defense, sport, hunting, or fun, both men and women have them.

• There are 310 million privately owned guns in the United States.
• 30% of American adults own guns.
• An additional 11% live with someone who owns a gun.
• Almost half of American adults grew up in households that had guns.
• Around 60% have friends who own them.
• A whopping 72% of Americans say they’ve fired a gun at least once.
• 55% of those who have fired a gun have never owned one.
• 66% of gun owners have more than one, and 29% own five or more.
• 72% of gun owners own a pistol or a handgun.
• 54% own a shotgun.
• 62% own a rifle.
• ¾ of gun owners say they can’t imagine not owning a gun.
• The number one reason people in the United States own guns is for protection. ⅔ of people who own guns say this is the overwhelming reason why.
• 38% say hunting is why they own a gun.
• 30% of gun owners have them for sport shooting.
• 13% collect guns.
• 8% have them because of their job.
• 65% of men and 71% of women cite protection as the main reason they own a gun.
• Women are far more likely to claim it as the only reason they own one. 27% of women vs. 8% of men say it’s the only reason.
• 43% of men and 31% of women use them for hunting.
• 34% of men and 23% of women use them for sport shooting.
• Rural gun owners are far more likely to cite hunting as the main reason they own a gun while urban owners are more likely to cite protection.

Facts About Concealed Carry

Many states have concealed carry laws and some now don’t even require a permit to carry. Most states will reciprocate other states’ laws if residents are simply passing through. Concealed carry laws affect gun ownership and crime at an alarming rate.

• In states where concealed carry laws were adopted, the FBI crime statistics recorded a decrease in murders by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, aggravated assaults by 7%, and robberies by 3%.
• Every mass shooting, except for one, in the United States since 1950 has taken place in a state where civilians are not allowed to carry guns.
• There are many instances of concealed carry permit holders stopping violent crimes, like the IHOP employee who shot the man who killed his father in January of 2019 in Huntsville, Alabama.
• Another woman in Chicago, in January of 2019, shot the man who was trying to rob her at a bus stop, resulting in his death.
• Florida has the most concealed carry permits at over 1.7 million and Hawaii has the fewest, at 0.
• In all 50 states, it is legal to carry a concealed firearm, but many states require a permit to do so.
• In some states, permitless carry is allowed, but it takes away critical components like learning gun safety and training first.
• In 35 states and the District of Columbia, the minimum age to conceal carry is 21.

Continue reading about more facts at Gun Made.