USA Buys 14 Million+ Guns In 2009 - More Than 21 of the Worlds Armies Combined

[spin]

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) for the year reported 14,033,824 NICS Checks for the year of 2009, a 10 percent increase in gun purchases from the 12,709,023 reported in 2008.

So far that is roughly 14,000,000+ guns bought last year!
The total is probably more as many NICS background checks cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time by individuals.

To put it in perspective that is more guns than the combined active armies of the top 21 countries in the world. countries by number of troops

Of the NICS background checks preformed less than and average .005% were denied, showing, overwhelmingly, that law abiding American citizens are the ones buying guns and that criminals are getting their guns elsewhere.

14,033,824,000 billions rounds of Ammo
Assuming each gun buyer bought 1000 rounds of ammo for each purchase, and you and I know that it is way, way more than that, that would be easily 14,033,824,000+ billions rounds of ammo fired by USA gun owners.
http://www.ammoland.com/2010/01/13/gun-owners-buy-14-million-plus-guns-in-2009/

For Release December 21, 2009

Preliminary figures indicate that, as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation reported a decrease of 4.4 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention for the first six months of 2009 when compared with figures reported for the same time in 2008. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The number of property crimes in the United States from January to June of 2009 decreased 6.1 percent when compared with data from the same time period in 2008. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson is also a property crime, but data for arson are not included in property crime totals. Figures for 2009 indicate that arson decreased 8.2 percent when compared to 2008 figures from the same time period.
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/2009prelimsem/index.html

[jeepnstein]

1. Is this a great country or what?

[rd_kent]

23. yes, it is! Thanks for agreeing.

[SsevenN]

40. It's a fantastic country worth protecting!

BOTH POLITICALLY AND PHYSICALLY!

Rifleman behind every blade of grass for dang sure.

[slackmaster]

2. That figure doesn't count most private-party transfers, or sales of blackpowder weapons

Or home-built firearms.

[NewMoonTherian]

39. I think the focus of the article was new guns coming into private ownership...

rather than ones just being transferred, but yeah that was the first thing I thought as well. So what's quoted in the article(as I'm interpreting it) is the number of guns now in the the hands of the people, that weren't there at the beginning of the year.

[GreenStormCloud]

3. I only bought one last year.

There are a few that are on my wish list for this year, but we have to spend money on other stuff first. Riding mower needs fixing, and my computer has a problem. (None of the USB ports work.)

[Craftsman]

4. That does not count person to person and people who do not get background checks

I live in TX and have a CHL. I show my CHL and it is my back ground check..

[howaboutme]

5. We rarely get to see this.

I bought a firearm last year and it made me feel really good. Actually it made me feel much better than most of the purchases that I make. Want to know why? No it wasn't because it was a firearm, but because on the box it said something that we rarely get to see today ... "Made in USA".

[rgbecker]

6. 14,033,824,000 billions rounds of Ammo?????

Would that be 14 billion or 14,033,824,000 billion? Just trying to get my head around that.

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. 14 billion - still, - that's enough to shoot every human being in the world - TWICE

.
.
.

and have a coupla billion rounds left.

sumthing to ponder

:freak:

[howaboutme]

13. Shooting is not my real concern, but defending is.

My concern is only about the right to defend myself and family while our LE concerns itself with writing traffic tickets to protect us from speeders. All too often their rash actions and pursuits get innocent people killed. I live in a rural area. Those who live in Manhattan have a far different outlook. They expect police to be covering their back side at all times.

I agree that the USA has spent far too much on the US military and many times more than most other countries. But that has nothing to do with the right of all Americans to defend ourselves from criminals. It is not just nice to know that we can, it is our right.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

15. Sometimes criminals need to be shot twice.

[PavePusher]

16. What, you don't consider practice to be neccesary?

Aren't the anti-gun folks always hand-wringing about some perceived lack of training? How do you want us to practice, throw rocks?

[SteveM]

22. That would be 1,000 rds. per gun, not that much for regular shooters...

If one went to the range 10 times a year, and expended 100 rounds per visit, that would eat up 1,000 rounds. I cannot afford to go to the range that often, but If I could, I would probably purchase 500-1,000 total rounds (.22s, .38s, .270s, etc.) to keep my accuracy edge up. BTW, I didn't include shotgun rounds. Hunting writers contend that the average American expends 5 shells per bird shot (I'm down to 2.2 per bird). So even with my limited yearly use of the range, and hunting, I still expend a few hundred rounds a year.

[spin]

25. When I lived in the Tampa Bay area ...

I used to shoot at an indoor range on a weekly basis. At a minimum, I would shoot 150 rounds per visit and often I would significantly exceed that figure. I would estimate that I would fire 6000 to 10000 rounds per year.

Eventually, I learned that if I shot more than 150 rounds per session, I started to lose my concentration.

[rd_kent]

24. Considering most folks that target shoot can easily expend 1000+ rounds a week.....

not really a lot to ponder.

[Retired AF Dem]

32. Plenty of rounds left over

for hunting.

[PavePusher]

35. I just bought ammo at the gun show in Tuscon yesterday.

600 rds of Yugo surplus 8mm Mauser (7.92x57mm) and 800 rds. of .22LR.

So I'm doing my part.

Next!

Edit: Forgot, I went back today (got overcharged for the 8mm) and blew the surplus on 8mm and .30-06 hunting soft-points.

Come on folks, catch up here...

[Tejas]

36. I'm not far behind you,

walked a gunshow and just didn't see anything I needed but HAD to buy something. Spotted some 8mm in bags, $20/100rds so I bought, er, a few bags, the bullets were silver.

Now all I need is a gun to shoot them out of, or save them to trade for AK ammo. ;)

[PavePusher]

37. "Spotted some 8mm in bags, $20/100rds so I bought, er, a few bags"

WHERE!!!! And why can't I ever trip over stuff like that? I could have stocked up on 8mm for my entire life at that price...

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[spin]

8. I bought three firearms last year ...

a Ruger .380 LCP pistol for my son in law who was looking for a smaller carry weapon, a Swedish Mauser bolt action rifle and a Stoeger 12 gauge side X side coach gun.

[DonP]

19. Look into the barrel inserts for the Stoeger in 45.-70

They have to be special ordered but Tanfoglio makes inserts for one or both barrels that you can put in or take out that convert them to 30-06, 45-70 or several other calibers.

I kind of like the idea of having a midget double rifle in 45-70 or one barrel in 45-70 and one 12 gauge.

[spin]

21. Wow, I didn't know of that ...

that would make a very versatile firearm.

Thanks.

[eqfan592]

10. I ended up getting 2 myself last year.

A swiss K-31 rifle, and a Norinco 12ga pump action.

[Tejas]

11. also doesn't count those who roll their own.

Granted, nowhere near a million or anything but just wanted to add to the uncountable column.

In actuality, probably only a dozen or so....yeah, that's it, a dozen.

;)

[eqfan592]

12. With all the talk about making your own firearm...

...I actually investigated taking a gun smithing class or two to try my hand at it (legally of course!). I'm always interested in projects like that. :)

[howaboutme]

14. Self sufficiency

not dependency is what the USA was about and it should remain that way. Understand how to farm, how to defend yourself and how how to do many things that will make you independent. Obviously the first is not to be in debt.

[PavePusher]

17. Heinlein wrote a list ...

of subjects that make a good start in self-sufficiency...

[howaboutme]

28. Just a thought

If there is one trait that once defined the original American settlers, the colonists, and native Americans it is self sufficiency. Since then we have regressed. It has nothing to do with politics.

You and your family are beholden when you are in debt, when you don't have emergency supplies, when you can't grow your own food, when you can't defend your family, when you can't do rudimentary fixes for your car, etc. it goes on and on, you get the idea.

Too many Americans have become overly dependent for many reasons, and they have lost the concept of self sufficiency.

[DonP]

18. 14 million! - Oh crap, my wife is going to blame me (ntxt)

[Tejas]

20. 14 million guns, that better be one deeeeeeeep lake.

:)

[rd_kent]

26. deep lake?

[X_Digger]

27. "Yes officer, I lost those registered firearms in a tragic boating accident on a deep lake." n/t

[S_B_Jackson]

31. I live near Galveston Bay.....

it may not be very deep, but it covers alot of area. If myself and friends ever foresee the need for such an accident, we'll arrange to be rescued by the Coast Guard...just so we can show the paperwork to the police as proof of our loss. :D

[taurus145]

29. I did my share!

And I haven't shot anybody in at least a week.

[Hare K Beauregard]

30. I only bought one last year...

...a Taurus .44 Special with a two inch barrel. Very compact and packs a punch.

[oneshooter]

33. A 44SP. out of a 2"bbl packs a punch on both ends!

Not to mention the flasbulb effect in low light!

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[Hare K Beauregard]

34. it does that..

I've only fired it at the range (indoor) and ear protection is required (I'd wear hearing protection anyway) so I didn't get the full muzzle blast from the report, but the recoil wasn't that bad. The little Taurus has good grips and was quite manageable.

Quite a flash, though.

[taurus145]

38. That's my second choice

after .45 acp for personal defense. It's a dandy round and you made a wise choice in Taurus. They make fine firearms.