U.N.: Nearly 1 Gun for Every American

AP ^ | 7/8/03 | EDITH M. LEDERER

[Mr. Mojo]

UNITED NATIONS - The United States has by far the largest number of publicly owned firearms in the world and is approaching the point where there is one gun for every American, according to the Small Arms Survey 2003 released Tuesday.

But in surprise findings, the survey found that Europeans are more heavily armed than commonly believed while there are far fewer small arms in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and sub-Saharan Africa than previously estimated.

According to the independent survey, the crackdown on terrorism after Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States "had little effect on the size of the global stockpile of 639 million known small arms."

The survey said its estimate of the global value of small arms production remains unchanged at about $7.4 billion — with the United States and Russia accounting for more than 70 percent of production. The estimate of the legal small arms trade — $4 billion a year — also remains the same, with the European Union (news - web sites) dominating the international export market.

America is now estimated to have between 238 million and 276 million firearms, compared with some 250 million legally owned guns, or 84 for every 100 people recorded in a July 2001 survey.

"By any measure the United States is the most armed country in the world," it said. "With roughly 83 to 96 guns per 100 people, the United States is approaching a statistical level of one gun per person."

The country with the second-highest gun ownership is Yemen, with between 33 and 50 firearms per 100 people, followed by Finland with 39 per 100, the new survey said.

"Contrary to the common assumption that Europeans are virtually unarmed, the 15 countries of the European Union have an estimated 84 million firearms. Of that 67 million (80 percent) are in civilian hands," the survey said. With a total population of 375 million people, this amounts to 17.4 guns for every 100 people.

The survey of global small arms was released on the second day of a weeklong U.N. meeting reviewing progress toward implementing a U.N. program adopted two years ago to combat small arms trafficking. More than 30 researchers contributed to the project, which is coordinated at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva and financed by a dozen Western governments.

Peter Batchelor, the survey's project director, said at a news conference that there are still "disappointingly low levels of transparency" about the global arms trade, with only about 20 countries providing annual export reports. Sixty countries are known to be engaged in the legal trade.

"Based on our research, it's clear that the value and the volume of the legal international trade has appeared to decline since the 1990s. This has been led by a dramatic fall in the trade of military weapons, and also certain categories of civilian firearms," he said.

Batchelor said the illicit trade is believed to be worth about $1 billion, or 20 percent of the legal trade.

While small-scale smuggling across borders continues, "the large-scale deals that seemed to be very prominent in the last decade seem to have declined somewhat," he said.

New research is leading to an increasingly balanced, though still incomplete, picture of the distribution of small arms and light weapons, the survey said.

Although it is has been widely reported that Afghanistan has at least 10 million small arms, the survey said, "careful analysis places the total between 500,000 and 1.5 million weapons."

It also said there probably are no more than 30 million firearms among civilians, insurgents and governments of the 44 countries of sub-Saharan Africa.

"This is enough guns to perpetuate fighting in many countries and raise the danger of criminal violence in many others, but it is not enough to render the situation totally beyond hope," the survey said.

[blam]

"Messing with us is simply **NOT** a wise career move."

I'm reminded of something Stalin told one of his generals when the general asked him about the occupation of America. Stalin said, "you don't occupy a nation that has 80 million snipers."

[longtermmemmory]

thanks very much for the offer. I am a few hundrend miles out of the way.

I will probably arrange some kind of one on one tutoring to get rid of bad habits. (things link posture, elbows, breathing in/out when pulling trigger,what do I do with my elbows?) I sure there are a host of others. I do not want to think when I have a rifle or pistol in hand, I want to have good control to be automatic.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

[lorrainer]

Bookmarking...

Lord, I hope X42 never gets to head the UN....

[Travis McGee]

The Nazis and Japs HATED that rifle!

[Travis McGee]

DON'T MESS WITH THE U.S.!!

Smallpox or something similar could still do great damage. Of course, it would be even worse for the rest of the world.

[Mr. Mojo]

Where in the UN charter does it say anything about counting guns? This is why I am so sick of the UN. They cannot do what they are supposed to do, and try to do many things they are not even empowered to do. And that which they do that is good, such as feeding the most needy, would be done a lot better were the generous states of the world to do it without the UN's facilitation. The UN is a total waste of everyone's time and energy.

Bump

[Jimmy Valentine]

I wonder where they get their numbers. There is no universal weapons registry in the U.S. In any event, my guess is that the one for every one is low. Actually very low.

Regards,

[Fraulein]

there is one gun for every American

Just one? What a shame!

[from occupied ga]

This weapon dates to 1923!!!!

1919 I heard

[8mmMauser]

303 brit is easy to find in Canada. Some are bound to float this way. Being a long time 30-06 user, I would gravitate towards that Remington 700 chambered for 308 or a Czech Brno Mauser barreled inexpensively for 308. Packs most of the punch of 30-06 with less punishment on the shoulder. Nato rounds, too.


Recently came across No 4 Mk 1 303 and 8mm's fairly cheap, good condition.

[tcostell]

I'm still hoping for sharks with lazer beams on their heads.... but in the meantime, I'll just stick to the Benelli line.
http://www.benelliusa.com/

[ought-six]

"I'm happy for you. I keep hearing horror stories about 'FOID's and those that run afoul of Daley's storm troopers."

You have to understand, that outside of Chicago and some limp-wristed wards in the suburbs, and except for some fellow-travekers in Springfield, King Richard II is DESPISED in Illinois. He is seen as a semi-literate buffoon who has a Napoleon complex. But he is indeed dangerous, because he has some enablers and camp-followers who will do his bidding and never blink about it. Cut through the chaff, and Daley is nothing but a glob of thick spit.

[Manic_Episode]

I only have 3 and feel very inadequate.

British .303 for deer.
Rem 870 12 ga for birds.
.25 auto pea shooter for just in case.

My someday list is very extensive.

[AnAmericanMother]

Sorry -- I was talking about actual ME/potential recoil, not the perceived recoil in a particular rifle. And I don't fire max military loads in my .303 either - I have tuned for greatest accuracy in the Long Branch, and the velocity is down from the full house military loads.

. . . and let me tell you about the "recoil concentrator" on the butt of my No. 5 Jungle Carbine . . . ugh. No wonder that rifle had the shortest in service time of ANY British weapon ever.

[coloradan]

and let me tell you about the "recoil concentrator" on the butt of my No. 5 Jungle Carbine

Isn't that a Feng Shei accupressure/ Rolfing deep massage nub? It helps recenter your chakras, after they get put out of whack by the muzzle blast. Be sure to shoot tracers, the red light they make is very harmonius and uplifting, and will leave a smile on your face that only the enlightened truly know.

[AnAmericanMother]

LOL!

Remember Confucius say, "Tracers work both ways."

[coloradan]

Indeed. Confucius also say: there are times to meditate and times to fight: do not only load tracer.

[TC Rider]

British .303 for deer.
Rem 870 12 ga for birds.
.25 auto pea shooter for just in case.

The 870 is your best choice for 'just in case', think buckshot or slugs. Buckshot is like emptying a magazine of 9mm all at once.

You should upgrade the .25 though. Lot's of good, ex-cop, wheelguns show up at gun shops, pawn shops, etc for a $150-200.

[MEGoody]

"The UN is a total waste of everyone's time and energy."

And money.

[Manic_Episode]

"The 870 is your best choice for 'just in case'"

True, but the 870 doesn't fit in my back pocket!

The pea shooter used to be my back up weapon (ex-LEO) and altho it's not, umm, overly lethal, I am hooked on its portability, and it sure beats throwing rocks.