Posted on 07/09/2003 5:23:47 PM PDT by 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.
My Mom carries a Mauser .25 in her purse. She's had it at least 60 years. She got it from my Uncle.
Uncle George was visiting another man's wife in the afternoon, he was an iceman in Louisville at a time when that made sense.
He was a truly huge man and handled 200lb blocks of ice with no problem.
He was stepping out of the back-door, when he met the husband with the .25 Mauser. The angry hubby planted a .25 in my uncles thigh, Uncle George reached out and took the Mauser away from him.
He later gave it to my Mom. I don't know if he ever had the slug removed. Uncle George passed away about 20 years ago in Albuquerque, he was always the cowboy of my Dad's family.
. . . sorry. I couldn't help myself.
Probably alot more than that. One 20 ga. buckshot shell is roughly the equivalent in energy of two .44 mag rounds. 12 ga. is much more poweful yet -- probably the equivalent of at least 6 shots from a .44 mag, which is of course considerbly more powerful than any full magazine of 9mm.
Little do those people in North Carolina know, but Calfifornia without a doubt, has many times more weapons than *any* five states put together....
Definitely need more than two. I have one hidden in every room of my house, except my bedroom where I have a shotgun and a 38 special. Those 2 are for a potential rapist. The others are for burglars. LOL I'm very well organized. I'm very well armed. 8-)
Smart. Nothing deters crime quite like a shotgun -- that big hole at the end of the barrel is a frightening sight. Sometimes stupid (or drugged up) perps might regard someone with a handgun - especially a small one, held by a woman - lightly enough to attempt the crime anyway, and you might end up shooting and fighting with him. Not a desirable circumstance, to say the least. But shotguns sober BGs into complacency, most of the time.
Only problem with a shotgun is that it can much more easily be grabbed away from you than a handgun, especially if you're looking for the intruder. That's why it's always wise to carry a backup handgun (like your .38 Spl) when you're wielding the shotgun. In the event that a perp attempts to grab the shotgun away from you, you should be able to quickly draw that .38 with one hand and unload on him before he can turn the long gun on you. It's definitely something one should practice.
....But you probably know all this. Sounds indeed like you're well prepared and well armed :)
Stay safe!
No, actually I didn't think about it. I'm not sure how to carry both of them at once? I live alone out in the country so I'm at risk but I installed intrusion alarms to give me the advantage. Once I know he's in that shotgun will blast him back out the way he comes in. I hope. LOL! IF somehow I miss, the 38 is right there on the night stand. By that time the SO will have been called by my alarm co. and they'll be on their way. The shotgun I keep in my bedroom is a short barrel pistol grip so there's not lots of barrel sticking out there for him to grab or do you think that is a miscalculation on my part? Thanks for the info! I do appreciate it.8-)
Here's what I would do: Keep your .38 in a high quality holster (like a Galco), either in your nightstand or on your person at all times (except when sleeping, of course). If an intruder appears in the middle of the night when you're not dressed, and you're pressed for time, just leave that .38 alone and go for the shotgun. (You can go back and get that .38 if necessary, although it probably won't be). OTOH, if the intruder appears in the day, you're appropriately dressed, and you have a little time, then grab that holstered .38 (after getting your shotgun first) and stick it in your pocket. Most likely you won't need it, but it's always wise to have a backup that you can access (draw) quickly.
It's also wise to take a tactical class that specializes in training for the type of scenarios we're discussing.
(Btw, the 158 gr. SWCHP +P "FBI load" is a very potent round for the .38 spl, if your piece can handle the high pressures).
Mysteriously, we are also the most free country in the world. Hmmm...
Note: this topic is from 7/09/2003. Thanks Mr. Mojo.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...
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