The American Public Health Association released the results of a study that had a couple of fairly surprising revelations. First, the number of Americans carrying a firearm regularly for personal defense has almost doubled to 16 million from 2015 to 2019. What’s more, fewer people carry in constitutional carry states where no government licensing is required to pack heat than in states with shall-issue carry regimes.
The study didn’t go into the reasons for more people are carrying in shall-issue states compared to constitutional carry states. Perhaps it has to do with lower crime rates and the perception, however factually based, that “everyone carries” in states that don’t require a license to pack Mr. Smith & Wesson under your shirt or in your purse.
From the Joyce Foundation-funded study . . .
Results. A total of 30.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 28.0%, 32.6%) of handgun owners carried handguns monthly, of whom 38.1% (95% CI = 33.6%, 42.7%) did so daily. In permitless carry states, 29.7% (95% CI = 25.9%, 33.9%) of handgun owners carried handguns in the past month, compared with 33.1% (95% CI = 29.9%, 36.3%) in shall issue states and 19.7% (95% CI = 14.9%, 25.5%) in may issue states. Of handgun owners without a permit, 7.5% (95% CI = 4.1%, 13.3%) of those in may issue states and 11.5% (95% CI = 8.5%, 15.4%) of those in shall issues states carried handguns in the past month.
Conclusions. In 2019, about 16 million US adult handgun owners carried handguns in the past month (up from 9 million in 2015), and approximately 6 million did so daily (twice the 3 million who did so in 2015). Proportionally fewer handgun owners carried handguns in states where issuing authorities had substantial discretion in granting permits. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(12):1783–1790. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307094)
To the surprise of no one, the percentage of carriers in may-issue states is significantly lower. That, however, is going to change as the Bruen decision brings down may-issue licensing systems in the states that still have them.
And the Joyce study’s results are as of 2019. For those who missed what happened during the last two-plus years, crime has skyrocketed and, in response, so has gun ownership. Millions of Americans have bought their first gun since the beginning of 2020, overall gun sales are up sharply, and gun ownership is increasing as well. That has to have translated into more people carrying guns since 2019.
Clearly, Shannon Watts and her sugar daddy Michael Bloomberg have failed in their mission of shaming discouraging everyday Americans from gun ownership and packing heat to protect themselves and their families from bad people with evil in their hearts.
Then again, Watts and Bloomberg have their own hired guns to keep them safe. The little people in America, like you and me, don’t have private armed security to protect us.
And no matter how much gaslighting politicians and the legacy media turn out, Americans aren’t stupid. They increasingly know that they’re their own first responders. When seconds count, police are, a best, minutes (or hours in the case of some cities) away.
Headline doesn’t match the study results. To wit:
“We found no notable differences between the proportion of handgun owners residing in permitless carry states who carried handguns versus those residing in shall issue states who did so.”
In other words, the difference between 29.7% in permitless states vs 33.1% in shall-issue states is not statistically significant.
Further, while the proportions are the same, I’m hazarding a guess that the total population of permitless carry states is greater than the population of shall-issue states; therefore, objectively more people carry in permitless carry states.
And that also doesn’t take into account the known issue of survey shyness with respect to firearms behavior.
survey shyness for gun carriers has been noted before in other studies. Only about 37% of gun carriers who are also owners participate in such surveys and people who borrow a gun to carry )e.g. from friends or family) but don’t own them it’s about 5%.
Its difficult to day for gun owners to participate in surveys about ownership or carry. The government chills such participation for a lot of people by their ‘always looking to turn you into a felon’ attitude towards gun owner/carriers and they simply do not want to be associated with it for fear the data may someway be linked back to them (in a way its a little unrealistic to think that for an anonymous survey, but I can’t say I blame them for wanting to be that way, its not paranoia just caution). And then some people just don’t do surveys like this anyway, like me, I don’t participate in such surveys and gun people I know don’t either.
Given that there are over 150,000,000 law abiding American citizens (when accounting for owners and non-owners who borrow to have at home or with them) who posses guns – and considering survey shyness – and taking into account thousands of crimes stopped before beginning by a law abiding gun carrier annually coupled with an increase in violent crime and no other choice self-defense shootings and home invasions stopped by a defender with a firearm – and applying a 15% error rate reduction, I would venture to posit around 40 million have carried at least a few times a month if not everyday this year.
When I lived in KY it was no permit required. Open or concealed carry. I rarely carried because I lived in a rural location and felt no real threat. Sometimes I had a .22 rifle behind the seat. That was more for plinking and pest control.
I’m willing to bet that constitutional carry states didn’t have much trouble with crime to begin with. States that embrace the gun life are just full of folks that are decent and law abiding to begin with.
It’s the blue states that are dangerous, as a rule.
“And that also doesn’t take into account the known issue of survey shyness with respect to firearms behavior.”
This. I don’t tell pollsters about my tools, or much of anything else for that matter. If it’s a NRA “pollster” (read: fundraiser), I’ll tell them what I think about Wayne, but that’s about it.
Not that I’ve ever been polled on the subject, but… if the over 1.3 billion dollar anti-gun slush fund that none other than Barry Soetoro used to be
on the B.O.D. of ever called to get my free answers to be used in a gun poll, most of my answers would be false… what they don’t know won’t hurt me later on, so why would anyone in their right mind give ammunition to the enemy ??
Don’t believe it to be shyness at all, but common sensibility with cold call “surveys”. First off, one has no idea whether the persons on the other end of the line are legitimate or thieves casing the joint via phone.
Secondly, it’s a rightful concern if not the former, exactly who that information may be shared with. Perhaps Bloomie & Soros astroturf groups? Maybe the gov, either Local, State, or Federal? None of anyone’s business but my own what I own, or why. Trust in them? Hardly.
“What’s more, fewer people carry in constitutional carry states where no government licensing is required to pack heat than in states with shall-issue carry regimes.”
There ya go – If the ‘grabbers’ want “Less guns on the street”, make the entire nation constitutional carry.
So easy, even a lint-licking, Satan-worshiping Leftist Scum ™ proto-fascist can understand it… 🙂
So there is no way to know exactly how many are carrying permitless since there is no license to count. Those that carry permitless do so because of the beleif that neither the state or the fed has the right to dole out or license a constitutional right.
Be interesting to see if in 5 years crime rates went down in those states compared to those with strict gun control laws.
Also a comparison of Blue cities in Red states.
IIRC, her highness HRC, declared it was Red states that had a huge crime problem, while ignoring the fact it was Blue ran cities that had the huge crime problem.
I want to know how many armed citizens were killed or injured by criminals as opposed to unarmed citizens who were killed or injured by criminals.
It sure cost me enough to get my CA permit. I carry every day to get my money’s worrh.
Congrats, Haz!!
Did not realize your permit finally came through!! Glad to hear it!!
+1
Let me get this straight: the Joyce Foundation funded a study on firearms.
If you trust the results of a firearm study that the Joyce Foundation financed, I have some prime Pacific Ocean beachfront property for sale in Nevada. My phone number to inquire about this prime beachfront property is 800 DUMB ASS. Operators are standing by.
tell someone who gives a s**t
I just treat everyone I meet as if they’re armed. Because I am. It’s worked so far.
^^^Yep!^^^
More proof American society is designating into madness and chaos. Every study ever done proves more guns means more homicides. If that were not so then the U.S. that has the most guns in civilian hands in the world would not lead the industrialized world in homicides and mass murder.
All this U.S. madness has not gone unnoticed by civilized and sane countries and they have now issued warnings to their people in regards to coming to this mad house on vacation.
Below are just some of the major foreign countries that are very concerned about the safety of their citizens traveling to Capitalvania where life is considered cheap and expendable.
For some perspective on just how far the US has drifted from the rest of the world with its approach to gun violence, consider this list of travel warnings that other nations give their citizens about US violence.
The list, compiled by the CNN Travel team, is an eye-opening, disturbing glimpse at what gun violence has done to our standing on the world stage.
Australia. The Australian government warns its citizens who plan to visit the US that “violent crime is more common than in Australia and gun crime is possible in all areas. Follow local guidance and instructions. If you live in the US, learn active shooter drills.”
Canada. The Canadian government makes its warning about mass shootings explicit. “Incidences of mass shootings occur, resulting most often in casualties. Although tourists are rarely involved, there is a risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
United Kingdom. The United Kingdom reminds would-be visitors to America that “incidents of mass shooting can occur, but account for a very small percentage of homicide deaths.”
It also tells its citizens that “violent crime, including gun crime, rarely involves tourists, but you should take care when traveling in unfamiliar areas. Avoid walking through less traveled areas alone, especially at night.”
Germany. The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs tells its citizens that “it is easy to obtain guns in the United States, leading to increased use of guns and occasional killing sprees. The number of arms and ammunition purchases has increased significantly during the COVID-19 crisis.”
Japan. The Japanese government warns its citizens “one of the main security concerns in the United States is gun crime” and offers a lot of advice for getting out of or hunkering down in possible active shooter situations, including:
• Find security exits in a new place and have an evacuation plan
• Escape regardless of whether others agree or not
• Hide in a room and barricade the door using heavy furniture
• Keep quiet and mute cell phones
If a Japanese tourist can’t escape or hide, they’re advised to “throw things close to the criminal, use them as weapons; scream; act with all your might.”
New Zealand. The country’s SAFETRAVEL website goes on to warn its citizens that “there is a higher incidence of violent crime and firearm possession than in New Zealand. In many states, it is legal for United States citizens to openly carry firearms in public. However, crime rates vary considerably across cities and suburbs and incidents rarely involve tourists.”
You realize the only way your worldview will ever be relevant in your country let alone your state would be if people of your ideological bent went for a full fascist takeover of the country right?
He’s got the black uniform and jack boots. And he’s crazy enough to proudly drink the kool aid.
“…to proudly drink the kool aid.”
Say, since he/she/it/they’ns likes kool aid so much, let’s start taking donations, to send him to camp. Jim Jones camp.
Trying to compare other countries to the US is an idiotic and exercise in futility.
The madness you speak of comes not from gun ownership, but from soft on crime Dem policies. The majority of gun crime is committed by guess who? Criminals. Not your law abiding American citizen. Criminals. Criminals that should be behind bars, but through soft on crime, Soros backed DAs, these criminals are back on the streets sometimes within hours of committing a crime.
Let me say that again, criminals are back on the streets sometimes within hours of committing a crime.
And then we are surprised when they commit another crime?
“More proof American society is designating into madness and chaos. Every study ever done proves more guns means more homicides. If that were not so then the U.S. that has the most guns in civilian hands in the world would not lead the industrialized world in homicides and mass murder.”
If your premise was correct, you could show haw many of those who carry legally by permit or by the statutes in the state they reside, have been convicted of unjustified homicide. Should I wait for this data or will you go off on some unrelated tirade?
Well it proves your full blown MARXIST since you believe CNN (COMMUNIST NEWS NETWORK) is “RELIABLE” source of info!!!
dacian, the DUNDERHEAD. There you go again. Spouting off like a Sperm Whale in heat. It has been proven time and again, that is not more guns that kill, but violent people (criminals) and the mentally ill, that you Leftists refuse to do anything about.
I personally don’t give a rat’s behind what Great Britain New Zealand, or Japan say about the ‘possibility of a mass shooting.” Anything is possible, like you stop your anti-gun drivel?
Aside from that, seems these people keep coming here as tourists and even immigrants so we can’t be too bad.
Now, let me remind you that it is people that kill, not guns. And 99.99999% of gun owners never shoot anything but paper targets or wild game. Again, a gun is still and inanimate object incapable of doing anything without someone holding it.
If you think things here are so bad, we will be glad to wave goodbye as you board a plane or a ship and never return.
I carry not only to defend myself and family, but to also defend innocent people who I might come across that are being attacked by cretins, during my travels.
I have had a couple of experiences where my displaying my firearm, and show my resolve to the criminal that I mean business, that the criminal capitulated, turned and ran away. In one incident the criminal was known to me and reported to the police immediately. The cretin was picked up in a stolen car about 2 months later.
None of the criminals have returned. They know I am not an easy target and that their life would be in jeopardy because of my initial response to them.
Out here on the homestead, I carry a large frame .45 cal. revolver on a gunbelt. We have a problem with feral hogs in this area. Killed a fairly large hog just last week. So I keep a heavy cal. weapon available. When I need to go beyond a few miles from the farm, such as down to Mobile or Pensacola, or over to Atmore, I switch over to a concealed carry weapon. Since I do occasionally need to cross state lines, I will be keeping my permit. $25.00 a year is cheaper than the hassles over having a weapon without a permit in a neighboring state.
Whatever the number is, it needs to double, more people need to carry.
When the American Public is buying over 1 million firearms a month you would think the Left would get the message. When push comes to shove and people feel threatened enough by their lack of diligence to personal safety perhaps like in Nancy Pelosi’s case, they will understand that no one immune from violence. Pushing all thes nonsensical policies is only going to result in confrontation which the Feds cannot possibly win. Time to wake up before they become the victim of their own doing.
Comments are closed.