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By Jeff S.

If one discusses gun restrictions online, one frequently encounters the assertion that gun owners purchase their firearms to compensate for having small penises.

This is apparently not intended to be derogatory, since many of the same people making the claim take the position, in other circumstances, that nobody should be shamed for how they look or for any physical deficiency or abnormality they may have. These comments are obviously intended to be a sympathetic expression of understanding for why gun owners cling bitterly to their weapons of war and destruction, and are not intended to belittle gun owners or imply that they should have any reason to feel inferior.

While the association between gun ownership and small penis size is frequently made, it has so far lacked the support of scientific evidence. The current study is intended to fill this gap by comparing data on penis size with gun ownership to confirm that the claimed relationship exists.

For information on gun ownership rate by state, the research team used data from a 2015 Columbia university study that assessed gun ownership rates based on a 2013 survey, providing a percentage of residents of each state who own guns.(1)

For determining penis size, the research team used the results of a 2010 study by Condomania.com, which bills itself as “America’s first condom store” that “has been selling condoms since 1991, We have sold tens of millions of condoms from the largest and smallest brands.” The study ranked the 50 states in order of decreasing size, based on their condom sales to each state.(2)

Plotting penis size as a function of gun ownership rate clearly reveals a correlation, with the penis size ranking of a state decreasing as the percentage of gun ownership increases; note that a low rank indicates larger penis size, ranking from #1 (largest – New Hampshire) to #50 (smallest – some poor state that isn’t New Hampshire). Based on the data, a state such as Alaska with a gun ownership rate of 61.7% can expect to be ranked 61 out of 50, compared to the top-ranking New Hampshire with a gun ownership rate of only 14.4%.(3)

It should be noted that the study only shows a correlation and does not prove a causative effect. That is, while the data clearly show that small penis size is related to gun ownership (4), one cannot say for certain that compensating for small penis size is the motivation for owning a gun. Further research might be helpful in supporting such a causative relationship.(5)

Endnotes:

 
 
(3) – The result that any state could rank 61 out of 50 may strike discerning readers as ridiculous. This is a result of using relative rankings (from 1 to 50) in the graph as if they were real numbers. Attempts to find the actual size data of Condomania’s study on its website, rather than relative rankings, were unsuccessful (this investigation on the website was, however, sufficient to change the character of the advertising seen on every other website viewed by the research team). While an implausible result may be viewed by some as diminishing the scientific validity of a study, with over 30,000 Americans dying from gun violence every year, this issue is too important to dismiss research merely because the indicated results defy any reasonable standard of credibility. See, for example: http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/10/health/gun-laws-background-checks-reduce-deaths/
 
(4) – Some reviewers may question whether the correlation shown in the graph is statistically significant, in view of the high degree of variability in penis size rank between states with similar gun ownership rates. Further research might use statistical methods to reduce this variability. One approach to concealing the variability would be to simply group the states into four quartiles and only analyze those four data points, rather than analyzing fifty. See, for example:
 
(5) – One further avenue of research would be to try to establish some connection — any connection at all — between the two populations (online condom purchasers and gun owners) other than just living in the same the state. The data in this case were selected based on their convenience in being attained off the Internet rather than out of any attempt to provide a representative sample or to reflect any actual relationship between the two populations. There is no clear evidence that the individuals in a state that purchase mail-order condoms are likely to represent the same individuals who own guns. For example, female gun owners are a demographic that might be expected to have significantly lower-than-average representation among online condom purchasers.
 
(6) – Some reviewers may question the validity of the data on gun ownership, since it is based upon survey data. One particular area of note is New England, where Libertarian-leaning New Hampshire (ranked #1 for penis size, it should again be noted) is cited as having a significantly lower gun ownership rate compared to surrounding states (including restrictive Massachusetts). This may cause some to question whether New Hampshire residents are merely less likely to respond candidly to the survey question than residents of Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
 
(7) – Reviewers (particularly those in North Dakota) might question why Condomania’s 2010 data were used, rather than their 2013 ranking which would match the year of the gun ownership survey. The research team (exclusively male and living in NH) reviewed both sets of data and felt that the 2010 data were more representative and scientifically rigorous than the 2013 data (which rank North Dakota #1 and New Hampshire at a dismal #36).  http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/12/03/which-state-is-the-biggest/

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53 COMMENTS

  4. Yep, all those gun tottin’ brothas in South Side Chicago must have tiny ones. Ya’all ought to go let them know your scientific conclusions.

  8. You missed April Fool’s by almost two weeks.

    Still, who wants to bet this shows up on HuffPo or the Daily Kos next week as “proof”?

  10. Can we file this under Facts About Guns? I can’t wait to see this show up on The Trace/Salon/NYTimes/etc.

    • If bringing a woman to a climax is the goal, then a penis is not even needed. Why else would there be so many lesbians ???
      Stimulating the clitoris causes the orgasm and that can be done with just about anything, a small vibrator, a tiny pinkie finger, small tongue………….or a penis of any size.

      When it comes to gay males, on the other hand, size does apparently matter, otherwise, why would they be shoving hamsters and wine bottles up their rear ends ?

      • Having known some lesbians who are not afraid or ashamed to talk about their sex lives. I can assure you that some at least use toys for penetration.

      • agreed, although I am little bigger than normal I used to have longevity issues , so of course I improved my other skills ; digits , tongue etc to get a woman a lot closer so that when my 2 minutes were up she was either satisfied as well or damn close

  14. Gee what about gals with guns?!? What’s their excuse? What about old guys(like me) who weren’t gun owners until 6years ago? I always thought it was guys and big cars/trucks who were lacking in private parts thing?

  17. …while the data clearly show that small penis size is related to gun ownership (4), one cannot say for certain that compensating for small penis size is the motivation for owning a gun.

    Nor can it be said for certain that owning a gun causes penis atrophy. More investigation is clearly necessary. I imagine one of the Bloomberg organizations would be willing to provide grant money for such a study.

  19. The ultimate shoot-down for that ancient, stupid, Freudian argument: “If firearms are symbols for genitalia, why are Progressives so enthusiastic about the symbolic removal of genitals?”

  20. When I was a young man I always wondered why condoms always hurt. Apparently back then they assumed everyone was the same size. The invention of the pill saved me from having way too many kids, or having to become a monk!

  22. I’ve never received any formal* complaints.

    * to lodge a formal complaint against my penis please visit disatifiedbyjohn.com
    Please have your social security card and picture of your breasts ready to complete the submission.

  31. “For example, female gun owners are a demographic that might be expected to have significantly lower-than-average representation among online condom purchasers”….It also is fair to reason that women gun owners typically have a significantly lower-than-average penis size….

  32. if it wasn’t for the shrinkage i sustained in the boating accident (lake michigan is 31 degrees) this would be accurate.

  33. I take exception with your methodology, sir!

    I believe it would not be difficult to prove that most male gun owners are in relationships with women who do not require, request, nor condone the use of condoms within that relationship.

    If a woman seeks a relationship with a real man, with a real set, and a real gun, why would she not desire to bear his offspring? You might as well base your conclusions on the number of prescription birth control pills sold per state, or abortions.

    Just sayin’.

    (/sarc)

  34. This is why TTAG’s comment policy is garbage…

    Amusing article, but two weeks too late… 😉

    • This the worst kind of junk science :
      You have no idea who actually orders rubbers vs who actually owns guns in each state ,it assumes that they are they same group.
      the “study ” only that states with high gun ownership ( which is pretty much a guess , btw ) and that many people order small condoms sometimes in those same states . But what you CANNOT possibly know is if gun owners use condoms bought by mail OR OTHERWISE.
      Honestly you should be ashamed at calling this research.
      Take a bloody science or statistics class.
      Just speculation on my part, but young single men are probably more likely to use condoms than 30 somethings who are usually married , monogamous etc and like me , have no use for them. Gun owners are more likely to be religious as well and not use B/C at all .
      In any case , I am a 6X6 , neither huge nor small .

  36. A young lady once asked me who I thought I was going to please with that package. My response was…..ME!

  37. I’ll lay it on the bar with any Anti who isn’t an NBA player. Loser buys a round for the entire bar. Ha.

  38. The problem with this is, NH does actually have a LOT of guns… None of them are registered so no one actually knows about the 20 down in the basement. (neither does the wife)

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