How many guns are in the U.S.?

[SaxonPig]

I have heard estimates between 100 Million and 270 million but I think that's way low.

Supposedly 45% of American households have a gun. There are about 315 million people in America. Let's use round numbers and say that 45% number means about 100 million individual gun owners. A little less than one out of three Americans.

Have to guess, here, but I think a reasonable average number of guns per owner is 10. A lot of people only have one, some have hundreds. But based on what I've seen I feel comfortable guessing 10 guns per average owner.

100 million x 10 is a billion, folks.

According to a report I recently heard there are 4,000,000 AR15s that have been sold. I think Winchester has sold about 7,000,000 Model 94s. S&W has made about 6,000,000 Military & Police Models (Model 10s). That's like 17,000,000 of just three specific models. Think of all the various models from all the different manufacturers. Now add all the military surplus guns in private hands. How many millions of Garands and M1 Carbines are out there? Mausers? Moison Nagants? Etc?

Of course, a number of guns are lost and destroyed each year. But what ever number are gone, I come back to that 100M x 10 guess on how many are still around.

Do you think my estimate is way off? What's your estimate?

 

[HoosierQ]

I think this is good reasoning but I think 10 is too high. I've got 1,700 posts here (meaning nothing other than I have a pretty strong and consistent interest in firearms)and I have only 8. Had 14 once. So I'd be tempted to cut your number in half.

That's still half a billion. Between two or three and it's a quarter of a billion.

I suspect a billion is too high but I like the logic you've used.

 

[Sam1911]

Hmmm... all the estimates I've read break 300 million easily.

A quick google search showed both answers.com and the newyorker even agreed that there were somewhere between 250,000 and 350,000 guns in the US.

 

[Outlaw Man]

Remington claims over 5 million 700s sold. Granted that's an extremely popular rifle, like the ones you mentioned, but think of how many other models are nearly as popular or more. You're going to get up towards that 300-500 million number pretty darn quick.

 

[mastiffhound]

Well, the movie Lord of War said 550 million in the world, 1 for every 12 people. That seemed low considering Mother Russia and Red China have been giving them away like candy. I would guess 550 million in the U.S., every person I know owns more than one. Even a neighbor that was previously anti-modern sporting rifle. My grandmother owns around 20, my grandpa loved WWII firearms. She has me come over twice a year and clean and oil them. Of course I live in the country, things might be different here. With all the guns that are squirreled away buy farmers it could even be higher. I watched a few episodes of Gangland, bikers and gangbangers. They have tons of firearms, Im betting none of those are registered either.

 

[JayBird]

Hmmm... all the estimates I've read break 300 million easily.

A quick google search showed both answers.com and the newyorker even agreed that there were somewhere between 250,000 and 350,000 guns in the US.

This is the number that is typically thrown around. And it lines up pretty close to past statistics about 10-15 years ago adding in 'new gun sales' for the past 10-15 years.

I personally think 10 is too high for an average. Many people only have one.

I would put the number of individual gun owners around 80-100 million. Which would equate to an average of about 3-4 guns per gun owner, which seems about right to me.

But, I am glad we dont know the exact number.

 

[lefteye]

390 to 465 million privately owned guns in the United States.

See Post #430 here:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=513976&page=11

 

[Chevelle SS]

I'd guess about 600 million

 

[Texan Scott]

The proper answer is "Who wants to know? ".

 

[marksg]

The proper answer is "Who wants to know?

I can't put it any better

 

[Chris-bob]

7...give or take a few.

 

[ZeSpectre]

None, they've all been lost in mysterious boating accidents lately.

In other news, the NY ferry ran aground on a pile of "mysteriously lost" firearms in the Hudson river this evening <grin>.

 

[Jim Mac]

If the govt claims 300 million then the actual numbers got to be that times 2.5 correct? Look at obama care, it was suppose to cost 800 billion over 10 years now the budget office is saying something like 2.4 trilliion and rising. Everytime the govt comes up with a number, its always off by multiples of 2 or 3. jim

 

[saenzrich]

I don't know we all lost them in a boat wreck.

 

[gym]

I think the numbers would be surprisinglly higher than anyone believed possible.
There are many folks who have a rediculous amount of guns, I met a gent through a dear old friend of 30 years who took us back to his house about 12 years ago. They very good friends, he was in his 60's maybe 70, and had over 500 guns. That was in a normal looking home in Boca Raton,FL. I never saw so many engraved custom shop plus guns "he was also a smith" in one house in my life. He didn't have near enough time to show me once he started, but I couldn't even grasp what he did show me. One of a kind pistols serial numbers like 001 002, he had every gun available at the time, plus a complete machine shop and some Harleys and a blown 32 coupe with a hemi engine in the garage. Of course he was single, divorced a few times, and looked like an accountant. But I will never forget the trip, too bad I lost contact with both of those guys.
I don't think a guy like that could stay married only because of his relationship with guns, it was his life. He was a walking encyclopedia of metalurgy, and hand guns, each gun had hundreds of hours of work and a story in it.
A multi millionaire who just had got lost in the gun world he loved. His name was Ira, and at the time every gun show vendor knew who he was. Although he seldom sold he often bought, but more rare guns, or low serial numbers with extreme amounts of work done.
There are a lot of Ira's in this country, could be the guy next door, I think they are looking at a half billion plus.

 

[bushmaster1313]

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