STATISTICS RELATING TO THE GUN CONTROL QUESTION

• NCJ Number: 46052
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 47 pages
• Corporate Author: Canada Solicitor General
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: French; English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

GUN STATISTICS FOR CANADA INCLUDE THE NUMBER, TYPES, AND RATE OF INCREASE OF GUNS AS OF 1975. STATISTICS ON THE NUMBER AND TYPES OF DEATHS DUE TO FIREARMS ARE ALSO INCLUDED.

Abstract

THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED 10 AND 1/2 MILLION GUNS IN CANADA. OUT OF 20 GUNS TAKEN AT RANDOM, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 12 WOULD BE RIFLES, 7 SHOTGUNS, AND 1 A HANDGUN. THE RATE OF INCREASE IN THE GUN STOCK IS ESTIMATED TO BE 4 PERCENT OR SOME 420,000 GUNS PER YEAR. THE NUMBER OF GUNS MANUFACTURED IN CANADA JUST ABOUT EQUALS THE NUMBER IMPORTED. ALL LEGALLY MANUFACTURED, NONMILITARY HANDGUNS ARE IMPORTED, AS ARE TWO OUT OF FIVE SHOTGUNS AND THREE OF FIVE RIFLES. THERE IS ABOUT ONE GUN FOR EVERY TWO CANADIANS, WITHOUT MUCH CHANGE IN RECENT YEARS. IN PROPORTION TO POPULATION, THE UNITED STATES HAS ABOUT 1 AND 1/2 TIMES AS MANY FIREARMS AS CANADA -- 5 TIMES AS MANY HANDGUNS PER PERSON AND AN ACTUAL STOCK 60 TIMES AS GREAT. ALMOST 1,500 PERSONS DIE FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS IN A YEAR IN CONNECTION WITH ACCIDENTS, SUICIDES, HOMICIDES, POLICE ACTION, AND INCIDENTS OF UNDETERMINED INTENTION. SUCH DEATHS HAVE INCREASED ALMOST 30 PERCENT SINCE 1970. SUICIDES ACCOUNT FOR 70 PERCENT OF ALL FIREARM DEATHS. FIREARM MURDERS ARE ON THE INCREASE SINCE 1970, HAVING INCREASED OVER 50 PERCENT OR ABOUT TWICE THE RATE OF INCREASE IN MURDERS AS A WHOLE. THE NUMBER OF MURDERS BY HANDGUN HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN 4 YEARS. GENERALLY, FIREARMS ARE USED AS MURDER WEAPONS MOST OFTEN WHEN THE SUSPECT AND VICTIM ARE KNOWN TO EACH OTHER. THEIR USE IS TWICE AS PREVALENT IN LOVE TRIANGLES AND LOVER'S QUARRELS AS IN MURDER RESULTING FROM OTHER CRIMINAL ACTS. THE NUMBER OF ROBBERIES INVOLVING FIREARMS IS INCREASING AT A LITTLE LESS THAN TWICE THE RATE OF INCREASE FOR ROBBERIES AS A WHOLE. FOUR OUT OF FIVE CANADIANS FAVOR REGISTRATION OF ALL FIREARMS AND FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A LAW FORBIDDING POSSESSION OF HANDGUNS. IN THE UNITED STATES, TWO-THIRDS FAVOR REGISTRATION, BUT A MAJORITY IS OPPOSED TO ANY LAW FORBIDDING HANDGUN POSSESSION. IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH. (RCB)