Question of the Day: How Many Guns Are There in the US?

By Dean Weingarten

How many firearms are lost or destroyed in the United States? Is the number of guns in the U.S. increasing or decreasing? The current estimate of the private stock of firearms in the United States is about 363 million (16 million were added in 2013). That number was calculated by the cumulative addition of domestic manufacture plus imports minus exports. This does not count guns shipped to the U.S. military. The figures are rounded to the nearest million. Firearms manufactured before 1899 are not included. The starting figure in 1945 is 47 million . . .

The numbers don’t account for reduction of the gun stock due to wear and tear, loss, destruction or illegal exportation; or increases in the stock from illegal importation, individual or illegal manufacture, or acquisition from military sources.

The primary uncertainty is whether the unknown factors mentioned above result in a net loss or gain of firearms in addition to net known manufacture and importation, minus exports.

There is, of course, illegal importation and exportation of firearms. A prominent Californian legislator, Leland Yee, who pushed for more firearm restrictions was arrested and convicted as the result of an undercover sting operation …read more

Source:: Truth About Guns