WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot 358 Posted September 20, 2016 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/09/19/just-three-percent-of-adults-own-half-of-americas-guns/ The 3% on average own 17 guns. I know a guy like that.... 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
voyager9 3,417 Posted September 20, 2016 78% won't answer a cold-call poll asking if they own guns Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 9 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lambo2936 297 Posted September 20, 2016 78% won't answer a cold-call poll asking if they own guns Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk You think the % is much higher than 22%? I can't see it being more than 30% or so, nowadays. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
voyager9 3,417 Posted September 20, 2016 You think the % is much higher than 22%? I can't see it being more than 30% or so, nowadays. I have no idea what the real number is. 8% is a pretty big difference. Especially weighed against the narrative that was posted. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BlueLineFish 615 Posted September 20, 2016 Never minded being a 3 percenter 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bully 749 Posted September 20, 2016 Never minded being a 3 percenter Heh... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vicious 138 Posted September 20, 2016 Never minded being a 3 percenter lol, in for a penny, in for a pound, right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
W2MC 1,699 Posted September 20, 2016 Who comes up with this dreck? When I get a survey call, I hang up. So this survey should say "22% of the folks we could get to respond in this survey...." The Harvard-Northeastern survey was conducted anonymously via an online panel. The researchers told the Guardian newspaper that they did not receive any pushback from respondents about the questions, leading them to be confident in the results. And what does this mean? An online panel of who? Leftist nerds in Cupertino California? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NicePants 58 Posted September 20, 2016 Do they have any links to their research and how they collected the data? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howard 538 Posted September 20, 2016 So they asked 4,000 people when a huge portion of gun owners would never tell anyone they own a gun. Guess a Harvard education ain't worth what it used to be. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Albanian 121 Posted September 20, 2016 So they asked 4,000 people when a huge portion of gun owners would never tell anyone they own a gun. Guess a Harvard education ain't worth what it used to be. They want to push a narrative that most people don't own guns and that a crazy few own most of them. Regardless, even if one guy owned all of the guns, doesn't change the fact that we have innate rights we can choose to exercise or not. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gleninjersey 2,134 Posted September 20, 2016 They want to push a narrative that most people don't own guns and that a crazy few own most of them. Regardless, even if one guy owned all of the guns, doesn't change the fact that we have innate rights we can choose to exercise or not. Just drop the mic and walk away. That sums it up right there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Oakridgefirearms 224 Posted September 20, 2016 No way 78% of people in this country don't own guns...... One thing I have learned after getting my FFL is that there are a lot more people that have guns than you would ever realize, even here in NJ. A lot of people just don't want to admit it. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
10X 3,278 Posted September 20, 2016 And the top 3% of Americans control 54% of the wealth. http://www.cnbc.com/2014/09/05/even-in-the-richest-3-theres-a-growing-wealth-gap.html The Pareto principle (which these stats roughly follow) was published in 1896--this isn't new. Ownership distributions always skew heavily towards the top end (few, owning most). MGM and Caesars own 60% of the casinos in Vegas. Five beer conglomerates brew over 50% of the world's beer. It's unremarkable. Only if the distribution was anywhere near linear would it be unexpected, unprecedented, publishable. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deerpark 83 Posted September 20, 2016 78% won't answer a cold-call poll asking if they own guns Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Thank you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NJGF 375 Posted September 20, 2016 Actually most of the comments are more valid than the survey. I guess I am one of those at fault as I keep on buying more guns. I have to control myself but I keep getting these stupid permits and I am forced to use them. What's a person to do? btw: When they called me for the survey I gave them a complete inventory of my guns because I wanted to make sure they got the right results. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maintenanceguy 508 Posted September 20, 2016 I believe that 3% may own 50% of the guns. Maybe it's 6% or 12% but I do think most of the guns owned are owned by a small group of "collectors" or "enthusiasts". But I Don't Believe that 78% of Americans don't own a gun. If they called my house, I'd tell them I didn't own any - and I'm in the 3%. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane45 807 Posted September 20, 2016 Does a golf player only own 1 club? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AVB-AMG 530 Posted September 20, 2016 I think that this poll is interesting and will speculate that it is fairly accurate, as far as their sampling pool will dictate. When I purchased my first gun, a handgun, I did not think I would want to buy any more guns. Well, that attitude did not last for very long and I started to acquire more guns. While I do not have 17 guns, I have enough to satisfy my needs and interests, yet also know that I may possibly want to add to my collection in the future. I understand why a gun enthusiast would want to purchase more than several guns and recognize and accept motivating factors for multiple gun ownership as part of the gun hobby, sport, and/or home/self protection. For some, the satisfaction of collecting is motivated by multiple different factors – one does not eat just because of hunger AVB-AMG Here are links to the two articles:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/19/us-gun-ownership-surveyhttps://www.thetrace.org/2016/09/harvard-northeastern-gun-ownership-survey-research/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Howard 538 Posted September 20, 2016 I think that this poll is interesting and will speculate that it is fairly accurate, as far as their sampling pool will dictate. When I purchased my first gun, a handgun, I did not think I would want to buy any more guns. Well, that attitude did not last for very long and I started to acquire more guns. While I do not have 17 guns, I have enough to satisfy my needs and interests, yet also know that I may possibly want to add to my collection in the future. I understand why a gun enthusiast would want to purchase more than several guns and recognize and accept motivating factors for multiple gun ownership as part of the gun hobby, sport, and/or home/self protection. For some, the satisfaction of collecting is motivated by multiple different factors – one does not eat just because of hunger AVB-AMG Here are links to the two articles: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/19/us-gun-ownership-survey https://www.thetrace.org/2016/09/harvard-northeastern-gun-ownership-survey-research/ I don't agree with your assessment, but I have actually been wrong before, so you might be right But I think we that participate in a forum such as this are very different than average gun owners. For example just look at the number of home ranges you post on your profile - you have four while the "average" gun owner probably has zero. There are a huge number of gun owners that buy a gun and one box of ammo and never use it or even practice shooting it. It is there just "in case", not a good idea but there are lots of those people. There are lots of others that buy one gun and go shoot maybe once every few months so that they remember where the trigger is and how to load the thing. Sure there are those of us that collect or shoot competitively, but we are in the vast minority of gun owners. As further evidence look at how few get involved when stupid laws are being proposed against honest gun owners. It is us 1-3%, the rest just really don't care as the laws don't impact them as they just care they can buy one and stick it somewhere near the bedside. I know lots of people that have just one or two guns, and would never tell anyone they have any. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pizza Bob 1,488 Posted September 20, 2016 Come on slackers, catch up! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shane45 807 Posted September 20, 2016 Keep in mind the perspective. Those born and raised in NJ have a perspective gun ownership is fleeting and rare. But travel to TN, AZ, KY etc etc and its literally a flipped script. My company has a no weapons on work property rule. When in the AZ office I asked everyone standing around "ok who's packing?" and easily half lifted up a shirt and exposed their pistol. Double thumbs up from me and everyone went back to work. Cali office and even Pa office, not so much Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ricky_Bobby 130 Posted September 20, 2016 Well at 30 years old, I used to have about half of the total to get me into the 3% category - Then that stupid damn flood of 2016 wiped out my basement and everything was just lost - Now I'm back to being in the 78% (LOL) I sure as shit wouldn't answer a cold call survey if it asked me about how much fellatio I get in a year, let alone any survey about guns. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
W2MC 1,699 Posted September 20, 2016 They want to push a narrative that most people don't own guns and that a crazy few own most of them. Regardless, even if one guy owned all of the guns, doesn't change the fact that we have innate rights we can choose to exercise or not. exactly! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Old Glock guy 1,125 Posted September 20, 2016 I wonder how many 3%ers we have on here? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JayWilling 33 Posted September 20, 2016 I don't know how they arrived at their conclusions but it's absolute trash. I help run a pistol shooting night at my club, open to the public twice a month. Literally, EVERY night there is at least one new gun owner...and they just KEEP COMING! There is no way that 3% is buying all the guns. There's a huge surge just in female gun owners. This is another example of social engineering run amok. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shawnmoore81 623 Posted September 20, 2016 Only 17 guns? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rob0115 1,105 Posted September 20, 2016 I'd respond that I have 0 guns to a poll like this. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shawnmoore81 623 Posted September 20, 2016 Ask them if tanks count Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
voyager9 3,417 Posted September 20, 2016 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites