Gun Owner Stats by State

[Lawdog]

From www.ammo.com

 

Gun Ownership by State (2026 Statistics)

[Alpo]

I don't know why they keep posting crap like that.

 

Since there is no Nationwide gun registration - even though they keep saying there is on television - there is no way that the government knows how many guns are in any one state. They can guess, but they have no way to know.

 

It says they rely on self-reporting. So somebody comes up to me and asked if I have any guns? I'm either going to tell him that I have no idea what a gun is, or possibly I will tell them that I have 5,000 guns - depends on how I feel on that particular day. But I damn sure ain't going to tell 'em the truth. None of their damn business.

 

I'm certain I am not the only person in this country that feels that way.

[sassnetguy50]

California is 43rd and Illinois is 44th?  That is not a believable order.  

[watab kid]

thats because they only register "legal" gun owners in that stat - they ignore the criminals and their are lots in IL and CA , its all aimed at us legal gun owners always has been - they dont care of crime or those that comit them otherwise they would target them , we shall always be the target and the payee.................never those that commit crimes with guns 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 7/10/2026 at 7:35 PM, Alpo said:

I don't know why they keep posting crap like that.

 

Since there is no Nationwide gun registration - even though they keep saying there is on television - there is no way that the government knows how many guns are in any one state. They can guess, but they have no way to know.

 

It says they rely on self-reporting. So somebody comes up to me and asked if I have any guns? I'm either going to tell him that I have no idea what a gun is, or possibly I will tell them that I have 5,000 guns - depends on how I feel on that particular day. But I damn sure ain't going to tell 'em the truth. None of their damn business.

 

I'm certain I am not the only person in this country that feels that way.

My neighbors across the street (active pro-gun and wonderful people to boot) came over one day and took a look at my guns.  

 

Amber took a quick look and said to her husband "He has more guns than we do.  I think he has more guns than Switzerland."

 

Tain't nobody's business but mine and I'll never answer any question about them.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 7/10/2026 at 6:56 PM, Lawdog said:

From www.ammo.com

 

Gun Ownership by State (2026 Statistics)

This whole thing is misnamed.  It should read Gun Ownership by State (2026 Guesses by people who have no idea what they are talking about).

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

4 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

This whole thing is misnamed.  It should read Gun Ownership by State (2026 Guesses by people who have no idea what they are talking about).

You could just about say that about ANY "survey" that comes out.  

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

2 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

You could just about say that about ANY "survey" that comes out.  

I can.

 

I have.

 

I almost always do or I ignore them altogether.

 

And that doesn't just apply to the people contacting the survey, but the people answering them as well.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

Just now, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

And that doesn't just apply to the people contacting the survey, but the people answering them as well.

In general, whoever hires the outfit that performs the survey is looking for a specific result. The survey company will do everything they can to get that result. Which includes surveying people they think will answer the way that they want, and disregarding answers they don't like.

[El Chapo]

14 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

This whole thing is misnamed.  It should read Gun Ownership by State (2026 Guesses by people who have no idea what they are talking about).

 

Then your beef is with the entire concept of inferential statistics, the proofs of which are well supported by over 100 years of mathematicians working hard to refute them.  What's fascinating about it is that once you realize inferential statistics are the truth, it's amazing what you can learn without observing absolutely everything, as long as you gather the data correctly. 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I don't have a "beef" with anyone over this subject.  I've seen so many so-called "surveys" that I simply ignore them all because I very frankly don't give a damn.  Not a single one in of  them in my memories of over 84 years of experience has ever effected my life in any manner, and my opinions and facts of life have always vanished in a huge cloud of adult male bovine excrement.

 

The last eight words of your statement validate my opinion because there is no control over the collecting of the data. 

[watab kid]

18 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

My neighbors across the street (active pro-gun and wonderful people to boot) came over one day and took a look at my guns.  

 

Amber took a quick look and said to her husband "He has more guns than we do.  I think he has more guns than Switzerland."

 

Tain't nobody's business but mine and I'll never answer any question about them.

i had a couple occasions of that back when , now that i divested most of my US military and commonwealth military collections , its mostly 22s and cowboy guns but still get those comments once in a while , im with you on the response 

[Rye Miles #13621]

They’re going by 4473’s I think and if that’s what it is I’ve got guns I bought from friends in my state that doesn’t have to go through FFL’s so I know the Ohio stats are wrong. We can buy a gun at a gun show from a private owner and all they are required to do is see my Ohio ID or DL. I’ve bought and sold a few like that as well! 

Edited July 14 by Rye Miles #13621

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

4 hours ago, Rye Miles #13621 said:

They’re going by 4473’s 

I'm not sure that they can do that. I don't think that 4473s are public information. They may be basing their conclusions on NICS checks. Just a guess.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Wouldn't matter much in my case.  About half or my guns were built and sold before all this government generated paper garbage was even thought of, and a lot more were bought at gun shows, through personal connections, even yard and estate sales, even after the laws were really in effect.  Some were gifts or trades with no paper, one was found in a sheriff's department station parking lot in Beaufort, South Carolina, and I took one off a drunk sailor in San Diego.  I even bought a Colt #3 derringer in an antique store in Pomona when the owner thought it was a toy cap gun.

 

Show me how any of those guns are, or ever were, accounted for.  Until you can do that don't even suggest that any survey is worth a tinker's dam.  I know better.

 

And your fancy names of programs, systems, techniques, etc. don't impress me one bit.  Save them for the feeble-minded anti-gunners.

[Rye Miles #13621]

1 hour ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

I'm not sure that they can do that. I don't think that 4473s are public information. They may be basing their conclusions on NICS checks. Just a guess.

I agree, that’s what I meant. How many checks came in.

[Texas Joker]

1 hour ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

Wouldn't matter much in my case.  About half or my guns were built and sold before all this government generated paper garbage was even thought of, and a lot more were bought at gun shows, through personal connections, even yard and estate sales, even after the laws were really in effect.  Some were gifts or trades with no paper, one was found in a sheriff's department station parking lot in Beaufort, South Carolina, and I took one off a drunk sailor in San Diego.  I even bought a Colt #3 derringer in an antique store in Pomona when the owner thought it was a toy cap gun.

 

Show me how any of those guns are, or ever were, accounted for.  Until you can do that don't even suggest that any survey is worth a tinker's dam.  I know better.

 

And your fancy names of programs, systems, techniques, etc. don't impress me one bit.  Save them for the feeble-minded anti-gunners.

And the NSA thanks you for the inventory.

 

it never ceases to amaze me how often people do that.

[Alpo]

I saw one of these WHICH STATE HAS THE MOST GUNS things a few years ago.

 

And it told you stuff like

 

I really really hate when I hit the post button when I'm reaching for something else.

 

To continue - it told you stuff like FLORIDA HAS 5,000, and TEXAS HAS 6300, and CALIFORNIA HAS 17.

 

Because it was using information received from ATF, and the only thing ATF keeps track of is NFA.

 

 

Edited July 14 by Alpo

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

2 hours ago, Texas Joker said:

And the NSA thanks you for the inventory.

 

it never ceases to amaze me how often people do that.

And yet, after nearly 85 years I've NEVER been bothered by them.

 

Enjoy your paranoia.

[Dantankerous]

I think you all are missing the point. The point is, we should all do our best to help our individual state do better in the next survey. I'm going to Scheels tomorrow 😀. 

 

 

[Texas Joker]

@Forty Rod SASS 3935

 

It's not paranoia if you understand data harvesting.

 

Let's of examples of how much data people leak