The NRA posted a meme on Facebook yesterday that stated that there are 400 million guns owned by Americans. This was some sort of new milestone. Got me thinking bit so figured I'd check on the numbers.

Not sure how anyone comes up with either number.

Answers says this: Number of guns and gun owners in USAicon. Most estimates range between 39% and 50% of US households having at least one gun (that's about 43-55 million households). The estimates for the number of privately owned guns range from 190 million to 300 million. Removed those that skew the stats for their own purposes the best estimates are about 45% or 52 million of American households owning 260 million guns).

Which seems to indicate the NRA's numbers are way high.

NPR estimates about 300 million guns or one gun per every man, woman and child in the United states whichever is higher?

One website claimed only about 21% of households owned guns with 50% of them owning one or two and the other 50% owning three or more. 3% were considered super owners and this group owned over 50% of all firearms in the country.

Somehow, I don't think any of these numbers are right although as being a gun owner, my perspective may be skewed. I also would be considered a super owner as I suspect many here in these forums would be.

The thing is, nearly every person I know that owns a firearm owns more than three. If I had to average it out, I'd say the average would be between six and ten per household and that's discounting so called super owners.

Granted I live in a suburban/rural area and hang with people of my own hobbies but just can't see these numbers being accurate.

If only 1 in 3 own guns and there are more guns than people, each of those 3 people has to own 3 guns and there is zero accountability for those that own over 100.

Or am I overthinking this?
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