Gun sales up, violence down in '05

[Geezah]

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, always one to put a smiley face on news from the American firearms industry, notes that 2005 U.S. Department of the Treasury figures show increases in retail sales of firearms and ammunition (2.6 percent) and total volume of sales ($2.1 billion).

You've undoubtedly heard that the firearms industry is in trouble; now these figures. Who to believe?

Well, the industry is staggering, largely due to the cost of labor and the skyrocketing price of raw materials. It is staying afloat, however, by marketing products - particularly firearms - made off-shore. A total of 1,845,366 firearms were imported for retail last year compared to 2,947,008 made on these shores.

Approximately 4.7 million new guns were sold in 2005, bringing the estimated number of citizen-owned firearms in the U.S. to more than 290 million. The number of American households with at least one firearm is now estimated at nearly 110 million.

Of the various firearm types, the sharpest gains were seen in retail sales of handguns (pistols and revolvers). Handgun sales rose 3 percent while long-gun (rifle and shotgun) sales rose 1.8 percent. Ammunition sales rose 3.5 percent.

The true good news is that the rises coincide with a steady downward trend in gun crime, suicide and accident rates.

According to FBI figures, firearms crimes were down 2.4 percent; firearms suicides down 1.1 percent; and according to the National Safety Council, accidental firearm fatalities tied 2004's all-time low of 700, down 19.2 percent since 1998.

Link (http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060607/COLUMNISTS16/606070329&SearchID=73246923057776)

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[a_very_ex_STAB]

Link (http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060607/COLUMNISTS16/606070329&SearchID=73246923057776)

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Or could that be 'Prison population up, violence down'?

[joe mama]

Or could that be 'Prison population up, violence down'?

Or better yet: Gun sales up, prison population up, violence down. IE, lock up the criminals, don't treat the law abiding like criminals who can't be trusted.

Edited to add: What I always get from info like this is actual evidence that counters the hysterical crap anti's spew about "more guns equals more crimes!!!!!" ~100 million homes with ~290 million legal guns tells me LEGAL guns are not the problem.

[Geezah]

Or better yet: Gun sales up, prison population up, violence down. IE, lock up the criminals, don't treat the law abiding like criminals who can't be trusted.

aveS missed this part,

According to FBI figures, firearms crimes were down 2.4 percent; firearms suicides down 1.1 percent; and according to the National Safety Council, accidental firearm fatalities tied 2004's all-time low of 700, down 19.2 percent since 1998.

Gun Sales up, Suicides and Accidental Firearm Fatalities are down.

That can't be half bad, we're in a win win situation.:D

[wiking]

Now if someone had told the Brits that before they abolished firearms ownership. Heard the latest thing, a knife amnesty to try and combat "knife crime".

Lock up your kitchen knifes brits, Big Brother's coming to get them p-)
(of topic, i know)

[ed316]

Happy that I contribute to the sales. Not much but contribution no less.

[joe mama]

Happy that I contribute to the sales. Not much but contribution no less.

Me too...and I love how it freaks out antis when we buy more guns. Along those lines, I've decided on the answers to a couple of related questions:
- How many guns do you have? Not enough.
- Why do you have guns/more than one/so many/etc? To scare people who think I should have none/less.

[signatory]

arghhh...

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/3797/114977521314ro.jpg

http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/120/pistolety0812er.jpg

[Giddy]

Just generally whenever people find out i have an intrest in small arms and military history, I say i own guns (well air rifles) and i get accused of being a mass murderer asif firearms are the sole problem to guncrime? it really pisses me off when people are so arrogant and ignorant of what really kills people in the UK, mostly knifes and well concealed weapons, im sick to the back teeth of this gun scared culture.

/drinks a cup of tea.

[Geezah]

Just generally whenever people find out i have an intrest in small arms and military history, I say i own guns (well air rifles) and i get accused of being a mass murderer asif firearms are the sole problem to guncrime? it really pisses me off when people are so arrogant and ignorant of what really kills people in the UK, mostly knifes and well concealed weapons, im sick to the back teeth of this gun scared culture.

/drinks a cup of tea.

Walk into the light my friend, the USA is calling youp-)

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Or better yet: Gun sales up, prison population up, violence down. IE, lock up the criminals, don't treat the law abiding like criminals who can't be trusted.

Edited to add: What I always get from info like this is actual evidence that counters the hysterical crap anti's spew about "more guns equals more crimes!!!!!" ~100 million homes with ~290 million legal guns tells me LEGAL guns are not the problem.

I don't believe that 'more guns means more crime' nor do I believe that 'more guns means less crime' the linkages between the two (if any) are far more complex than that

What is undeniable though is that there are more guns in the USA than in the UK and that in the USA an individual is 30 times more likely to be murdered with one than in the UK in any given year.

[wiking]

Walk into the light my friend, the USA is calling youp-)

"Come to the dark side, young skywalker" p-)

[Durandal]

What is most important about these numbers is the increase in households with guns. I and the people I know can purchase all the firearms we want, but lets be honest, the number of gun owners voting would not be changing.

110 MILLION households is a majority of voters by far. A couple years ago we were looking at 80 to 95. That extra 30 to 25 million is good number when it comes to voting.

I like it...

[Durandal]

What is undeniable though is that there are more guns in the USA than in the UK and that in the USA an individual is 30 times more likely to be murdered with one than in the UK in any given year.

Only if you live in a poor minority, inner city, drug dealing, area.

The truth is ugly, but its the truth none the less. If you take black on black, inner city, shootings (usually crime related) the numbers start to reflect a very close similarity to Britain...or, safer than Scotland (which always seems to be excluded from the gun statistics when discussing "Britain"...usually just England and Wales). p-)

[Geezah]

I don't believe that 'more guns means more crime' nor do I believe that 'more guns means less crime' the linkages between the two (if any) are far more complex than that

What is undeniable though is that there are more guns in the USA than in the UK and that in the USA an individual is 30 times more likely to be murdered with one than in the UK in any given year.

2.5 defensive uses of firearms a year can't be bad.

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Only if you live in a poor minority, inner city, drug dealing, area.

The truth is ugly, but its the truth none the less. If you take black on black, inner city, shootings (usually crime related) the numbers start to reflect a very close similarity to Britain...or, safer than Scotland (which always seems to be excluded from the gun statistics when discussing "Britain"...usually just England and Wales). p-)

If they're mostly crims shooting each other who cares I certainly don't

[a_very_ex_STAB]

2.5 defensive uses of firearms a year can't be bad.

How can you have half a defensive use?

[joe mama]

How can you have half a defensive use?

That's where you shoot a criminal, but you don't make an exit wound you could toss a cat through.

[Durandal]

rofl rofl rofl

[Geezah]

How can you have half a defensive use?
Whoops, left our the million, 2.5 million defensive uses of firerarms a year over here.

[Geezah]

If they're mostly crims shooting each other who cares I certainly don't

Not all shootings involves crims, allot of innocent victims in the UK, or have you missed the majority of my posts?

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

Economy is stronger, more people are working, people have more money.

Less reason to commit crime.

Or shall we just ignore that little fact?

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Not all shootings involves crims, allot of innocent victims in the UK, or have you missed the majority of my posts?

4 people got shot on a rampage in Wiltshire yesterday - with an air rifle
If it had been in the states no doubt the shooter would have had an M16 and there would have been a rather bloodier outcome

[Hollis]

4 people got shot on a rampage in Wiltshire yesterday - with an air rifle
If it had been in the states no doubt the shooter would have had an M16 and there would have been a rather bloodier outcome

Jeeper your just jealous because you can not buy the toys we have.

I have a M1 Garand, they are all over the place here, NEENER NEENER NEENER

(this is from a post of Stab, in another part of a forum, stated he would like to have a Garand but English law will not permit it,)

Stab, if you lived in the states, you would probably be a worse gun nut than Geezah, probably even a card carrying member of the NRA.

[joe mama]

Economy is stronger, more people are working, people have more money.

Less reason to commit crime.

Or shall we just ignore that little fact?

Wait a sec, be careful now, you're implying several things:
1) less crime, which comes from better economy, is what causes less shootings, NOT taking guns out of the hands of the law abiding
2) if there's less crime, there's less criminals shooting people...but i thought it was the guns, not the criminals that were the problem...no? you mean it's the people who make the crime happen?
You're agreeing with us nuts more and more Min...
;)

[thunderw]

http://x4e.xanga.com/e46b74e27303241676832/b28344977.jpg

Mmm, yummy. Heck, they're practically lying in the streets, everyone has one over here. Feeling safe in the USA.

[Hollis]

I wonder if we should tell Stab about the "CMP" and buying Garands from them.

Oh Yeah Ammo is cheap too, check out www.sportsmanguide.com (http://www.sportsmanguide.com), search on ammo. you can buy ammo boxes full and in clips.

BTW Stab, check out Springfield, M1A1.. we can buy those too. LOLOL NEENER NEENER NEENER....


Edited to add; NICE one Thunder.

[Geezah]

4 people got shot on a rampage in Wiltshire yesterday - with an air rifle
If it had been in the states no doubt the shooter would have had an M16 and there would have been a rather bloodier outcome

Yeah right,last time illegally held select fire/full auto weapons were used on a large scale was the North Hollywood shoot out, but I will give you a Camden Clap for your dramatic comment.:D

Just highlights that innocents are victims of firearm crime in the UK as well.

[Geezah]

Economy is stronger, more people are working, people have more money.

Less reason to commit crime.

Or shall we just ignore that little fact?

And it was all done under a Conservative President, none of your Communist/Socialist crap herep-)

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Jeeper your just jealous because you can not buy the toys we have.

I have a M1 Garand, they are all over the place here, NEENER NEENER NEENER

(this is from a post of Stab, in another part of a forum, stated he would like to have a Garand but English law will not permit it,)

Stab, if you lived in the states, you would probably be a worse gun nut than Geezah, probably even a card carrying member of the NRA.

It doesn't matter Hollis I probably couldn't afford one at the moment anyway because of my other expensive sporting pursuits :)

[Hollis]

It doesn't matter Hollis I probably couldn't afford one at the moment anyway because of my other expensive sporting pursuits :)

I guess the UK taxes that too, STOP.

State
Tax
On
Cats?

[a_very_ex_STAB]

I guess the UK taxes that too, STOP.

State
Tax
On
Cats?

Dunno about that but it would be nice if they reduced the tax on aviation fuel and on importing skydiving gear from the States

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

And it was all done under a Conservative President, none of your Communist/Socialist crap herep-)

Thats because I wasen't in charge!

:)

[ed316]

If you were the PVC market would be flooded with that crap.

[Oddbod]

...... in the USA an individual is 30 times more likely to be murdered with one than in the UK in any given year.

The TRUE figure is 3.85 times more likely.

UK homicide rate 1.43 per 100,000 population

US homicide rate 5.5 per 100,000 population

Sources are from UK & US Government statistics.

[TwistedPretzel]

UK Population 60,609,153
US Population 298,444,215

Do the math, at the rates per 100,000 you gave me, there are only about 100 more deaths in the US then UK.

(60,609,153/100,000/1.43)
(298,444,215/100,000/5.5)

[Oddbod]

UK Population 60,609,153
US Population 298,444,215

Do the math, at the rates per 100,000 you gave me, there are only about 100 more deaths in the US then UK.

(60,609,153/100,000/1.43)
(298,444,215/100,000/5.5)

The last figure(the rate per 100,000) is a multipler, not a divisional number.

Total homicides come out at 858(UK) & 16,500(US)

Where exactly did you learn mathematics? ;-)

[a_very_ex_STAB]

The TRUE figure is 3.85 times more likely.

UK homicide rate 1.43 per 100,000 population

US homicide rate 5.5 per 100,000 population

Sources are from UK & US Government statistics.

No I was talking about murder with a firearm not ALL murders.

[Asheren]

I wonder it anything change here with new gun law. Some rumors say there might be even a complete ban on all firearms for selfdefense purpose for civilians. For all other purposes very small limits of amount of fire units you are allowed to carry and store. All civilians will be allowed to cary will be tasers.

[a_very_ex_STAB]

I wonder it anything change here with new gun law. Some rumors say there might be even a complete ban on all firearms for selfdefense purpose for civilians. For all other purposes very small limits of amount of fire units you are allowed to carry and store. All civilians will be allowed to cary will be tasers.

Where are you talking about? Banning guns in the US would be a complete non-starter

[Geezah]

Where are you talking about? Banning guns in the US would be a complete non-starter

I'm not sure which country he is talking about, but a complete ban would not happen overnight, death by a thousands cuts.
1934, 1986, 1989, 1994(and what ever crap in betweeen those dates)????

[StukaJr]

Reason for diminishing crime rate is...

1. Roe VS Wade :D

2. Increased availability of higher paying jobs to those unable to afford/too smart to waste their money on 4 year Adult DayCare Centers aka "US College Education". Can't afford those spinner rims selling dime bags anymore, yet don't have to live on cup'o'noddles for a decade anymore to bring in more than 20K a year.

3. Dissolution of inner-city Ghettos and replacement of state sponsored inner city thugs with citizens paying their rent/mortage.

4. Introduction of CCW, "castle laws" and considerable increase in Private Security Contract firms.

5. Entertainment fad on real gansters is dead - the demand for unrealistic stunts and impossible plots in movies and TV has made the modern crime movies too hard to imitate.

6. Suicides always drop in the time of war.

7. X-Box 360

8. I don't know whom would want to commit crimes after watching CSI:Miami