shouldn't we try and get the statistics related to "assault weapon violence" noticed?

[skyugo]

what's it like <8% of crimes involve so called assault weapons. i'm guessing mostly pistols with high cap mags.

it's pretty obvious that a criminals "weapon of choice" is whatever is most available.

AR15s for example, are a pricey, unconcealable staples of the second amendment, yet they seem to get ragged on every time gun violence comes up.

Use of long arms in crime is virtually unheard of.

anyone with some good hard numbers to share i'd love to see it. any ideas for getting the info out there would be great as well. I'm just getting tired of hearing that "assault weapons" are the "weapon of choice for criminals" when it's simply not true. weapon of choice for freedom loving citizens is more like it.

[chadbag]

what's it like <8% of crimes involve so called assault weapons. i'm guessing mostly pistols with high cap mags.

it's pretty obvious that a criminals "weapon of choice" is whatever is most available.



There was a good statistic from the FBI or whoever keeps the firearms stats for crime, back in the Bubba years before the AWB passed in 94. According to the government, at that time, a high quality revolver was the most mis-used firearm involved in crime (ie, not a Saturday Night Special type revolver)...

[Abraxas]

According to the government, at that time, a high quality revolver was the most mis-used firearm involved in crime (ie, not a Saturday Night Special type revolver)...

That still remains the case.

[bullseye]

i suspect a lot of that comes from is when you could get an sks for 65$ at any gun show, plus super cheap ammo. they AIN'T buying 1k ar's and doing this now.

[skyugo]

There was a good statistic from the FBI or whoever keeps the firearms stats for crime, back in the Bubba years before the AWB passed in 94. According to the government, at that time, a high quality revolver was the most mis-used firearm involved in crime (ie, not a Saturday Night Special type revolver)...

i recall seeing a site with the top 10 most used guns in crimes... number one or 2 was a decent smith and wesson revolver. the reason being that there are so many out there and they last so long that a few are bound to end up in the wrong hands...

number 10, the only long arm on the list, was a mossberg shotgun.

[HES]

That still remains the case.
I would think so, but are there any stats that show which weapons were used with what frequency?

In fact these are the only stats I can find.


In the United States since 1930:

The population has more than doubled

The number of privately owned firearms has more than QUINTUPLED

The annual number of accidental firearms deaths has DECREASED 80%

The fatal firearm accident rate has fallen to an all time LOW - down 94% since the all time high in 1904.

A person is less likely to have a fatal firearm accident today than at any time in recorded U.S. history.

During the last 25 years, the fatal firearm accident rate has experienced the greatest decline among principal types and classes of accidental deaths.

During the last 25 years, the fatal firearm accident rate has experienced the greatest decline among principal types and classes of accidental deaths.

Comparing firearm accident rates (fatalities per 100,000) to other accidental death rates:

NATIONWIDE

1. Motor vehicle accidents 15.3
2. Poisoning 7.1
3. Falls 6.4
4. Suffocation & Choking 2.0
5. Drowning 1.1
6. Fires & Burns 1.1
7. Medical "misadventures" 0.9
8. Environmental factors 0.5
9. Bicycles & Tricycles 0.26
10. Firearms 0.25

FLORIDA

1. Motor vehicle accidents 19.1
2. Poisoning 10.7
3. Falls 8.7
4. Drowning 2.0
5. Suffocation & Choking 2.1
6. Medical "misadventures" 0.7
7. Fires & Burns 0.8
8. Bicycles & Tricycles 0.8
9. Environmental factors 0.5
10. Firearms 0.12

Comparing the number of fatal firearm accidents to other accidents:

NATIONWIDE

61 times more die in motor vehicle accidents
32 times more die from poisoning
29 times more die from falls
9 times more die from choking and suffocation
5 times more die from drowning
5 times more die from fires
4 times more die from medical "misadventures"
2 times more die from environmental factors
1.3 times more die from bicycles & tricycles


FLORIDA

157 times more die in motor vehicle accidents
88 times more die from poisoning
72 times more die from falls
18 times more die from choking and suffocation
17 times more die from drowning
7 times more die from fires
7 times more die from bicycles & tricycles
5 times more die from medical "misadventures"
4 times more die from environmental factors

Nationwide, the annual number of fatal firearm accidents among CHILDREN has decreased 89% since 1975.

In Florida, in the last 15 years, fatal firearm accidents among CHILDREN have decreased by 80%.

THE BOTTOM LINE:We are safer now with firearms than ever before in our nation's history.

Data Sources:

National Center for Health Statistics
National Safety Council
Bureau of the Census
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Firearm industry reports

Fact sheet compiled by - Unified Sportsmen of Florida - P.O. Box 1387 - Tallahassee, FL. 32302

[ZDL]

I would think so, but are there any stats that show which weapons were used with what frequency?

In fact these are the only stats I can find.

People will argue this is because of gun control and more of it won't hurt.

[skyugo]

People will argue this is because of gun control and more of it won't hurt.

i was born 25 years ago.

i think the decline is due to my birth. :)

[CarlosDJackal]

"Statistics? We don't need no stinking statistics. We'll just make it up as we go along!" - <insert any pro-gun control liberal's name here>

[LOKNLOD]

Let's be honest.

If you tell someone who wants to ban guns, that only 8% of crimes involve "assault weapons", they think two things: "That's 8% of crimes we could prevent!" and "What do we have to ban to get the other 92%?" Nevermind the ridiculous fallacy in either of those statements, neither of them leads in the direction we're trying to go.

The problem is that Pro- vs. Anti- is not a matter of facts or statistics, or one side (ours!) would have already won. It's an idealogical battle, and conversions usually only happen when cold, hard reality provides some sort of smackdown to someone's world view.

Some facts and statistics probably help win some fence sitters, though. At least temporarily. I don't trust a fence sitter in an ideological debate, anyways.