Which country has had the most handgun fights?

[krept]

Genuine question for those who know world history (history is my worst subject).

In general, which country has had the most gunfights with handguns? I'm not talking about war, per-se as much of the small arms fighting is hopefully done with longarms. I'm talking about internal fighting... LEO vs. bad guy, citizen on citizen, etc.

Off the top of my head I'm thinking that it's the good old USA with our Wild West of days past coupled with modern day gang violence.

I mean, if the USA has the most experience in gun fights with handguns and the USA is also far and away the biggest market for the .45 ACP, there has to be SOME connection.

 

[Jim March]

Well...in terms of outright numbers, ya, we might be in the lead.

But maybe not!

Are you talking "killings", or "fights"? If "killings", it's probably the old USSR, Stalin's favorite execution method was a handgun bullet to the back of the head. *Millions* of people died that way.

If you're talking "fights" with both sides armed with handguns then yes, probably the US. Although not across the last 5 or 10 years! Both Columbia and South Africa probably top us in raw numbers, definately per-capita (Pakistan too, per capita probably). Heck, the Phillipines has their share...Brazil's back-country AND cities get plenty rowdy too.

 

[9mmepiphany]

the tough part is factoring in the "handgun" part. the US trails well behind other countries in gun fights even when excluding "wars".

i'm thinking one of the south american countries with their territorial disputes on the drug trade or one of the former eastern boc countries with their power struggles since the breakup of the soviet union

 

[Pawcatch]

About 84% percent of Colombia's 41,000 homicides a year are directly related to street crime,so most gun homicides in Colombia probably involve handguns.

 

[krept]

Thanks for the info and sorry for the grim post. Have heard from other people that experienced guards w/shotguns outside mom and pop's store on a daily basis in a couple SA coutries but I figured it was more because of the potential insurgency.

doubtless Eastern Bloc countries have experienced an uprise in violence since the red mob became a serious force.

Seems then that 9mm would dominate in it's various forms (Parabellum, 'x18 Makarov, the Tokarev, etc?) here.

Not sure about SA besides the 12 gauge. I remember in the Phillipines Robert Young Pelton and the MPD show visited the rebels and it seemed like there were a lot of 1911s relative to the other handguns.

Interesting info. Thanks again.

 

[9mmepiphany]

actually the 12ga shotgun is a very common sight for private security in many parts of asia...it does give you pause when doing your banking. it seemed that anywhere there was alot of cash, there was a guy with a slinged SG.

in many parts of eastern europe, pre-WWI, the handgun replaced the sabre for mounted raiders...i'm thinking it was more dangerous then the Old West

 

[Blackhawk]

You also need to put it on a per capita basis. Then I wouldn't be too sure that the US is in the lead....

 

[Med 10]

How about Johannesburg South Afrika?

 

[El Tejon]

Ken Hackathorn to the contrary ("We shoot more people in one weekend in Detroit . . . ."), I speculate that Jo'burg, Suid Afrika wins in both edged weapon and gunshot injuries.

 

[Blackhawk]

Reminds me that I haven't heard from Letsfetz for a while. Has anybody else?

 

[Pawcatch]

Per capita the U.S.'s homicide rate is actually pretty low compaired to most Latin American,eastern European,and African countries.

In 2000,the homicide rate in the U.S. was only about 5.5 homicides per 100,000 people.
Most Latin American countries were between 10 and 20 homicides per 100,000 people.
Colombia's homicide rate was about 80 per 100,000 people,though.