Top Gun States — Trends in Gun Ownership Around the USA
Where in the USA are guns most popular, on a per-capita basis? Look at this chart. The states with darker purple have the most background checks per capita. The Top 10, in order, are:
| 1. Kentucky – 1012 2. Illinois – 198 3. Indiana – 123 4. West Virginia – 119 5. Idaho – 109 |
6. Montana – 101 7. Minnesota – 98 8. South Dakota – 94 9. Tennesse – 92 (Tie) 10. Wyoming – 92 (Tie) |
Kentucky has a far higher number than any other state — 1012 per 1000 residents, and 4,508,298 overall per year. That’s not because the Bluegrass State has more avid gun owners (per capita) than elsewhere in the country. Rather, Kentucky has more background checks per capita because it is the only state that requires all concealed carry permit holders to undergo automatic monthly rechecks. That means 12 checks per year. Other states might have a single background check when the firearm is acquired.
Trends in Background Checks and Gun Ownership
The total number of background checks has risen steadily for nearly the past 20 years (though there was a slight decrease in 2017). In 2018, Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealers initiated more than 23 million background checks, with significant variations in how many requests came in from each state.
Gun Control Legislation on the Rise Nationwide
In 2018, the 50 U.S. states passed 69 new gun control measures. Those 69 new laws are more than three times the number passed in 2017.
The struggle between gun rights and gun control continues on both a state and a national level. Seeing this wave of new legislation makes one wonder, “how many of these new laws will really reduce crime or enhance personal safety?” Or, rather, are the vast majority of these laws merely intended to restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens, banning new classes of arms or creating new costs (and hassles) for gun owners. The anti-gunners’ strategy is to work incrementally, banning one type of firearm after another. The goal, ultimately, is to ban handguns altogether, and to ban all semi-automatic rifles.
Information in this report provided by YourLocalSecurity.com.
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Tags: Background Check, Gun Laws, Handguns, Kentucky, NICS, NRA, Pistols, Second Amendment
These numbers mean very little in Idaho where if you have a CCW there is no background check. Fill out a 4473 and walk out the door.
Over 1/2 the guns we sell in my store are to CCW holders so there is no background check.
Same in Montana. CCW = no background check.
Every Kentucky CCW holder has a background check each month. Consequently it looks like every one of us buys a gun each month. That’s not necessarily the case.
Also, CCW holders in Kentucky don’t get their purchases called in via NICS. So there’s undercounting and overcounting among us.
Having said all that, there’s a buttload of us who own a whole bunch of firearms.
The 2nd Amendment is our right to carry in Idaho. As stated by Spencer above, I don’t think background checks are necessary here. Unlike that of the People’s Republic Of Oregon.