NCJ Number
86325
Date Published
1981
Length
229 pages
Annotation
This 1976 Canadian survey, which interviewed 30,000 randomly selected households, found that variations in gun ownership and use are associated with the sex and age of gun owners and users, their occupation, and the size of community of residence.
Abstract
Gun ownership and use is an overwhelmingly male phenomenon. Also the older a person the more likely he/she is to be a gun owner. However, the older a gun owner, the less likely he/she is to be a gun user. Older gun owners and all gun users are likely to report hunting as the reason for owning a gun. Older persons are more likely to own handguns, and middle-aged persons are more likely to use them. Age is not apparently associated with the likelihood that a person has received firearms instruction. Both ownership and use of long guns are more common among blue-collar workers than among white collar occupations. The opposite is the case with respect to handguns and 'other firearms.' Both ownership and use of long guns are much more common among residents of rural areas than residents of urban areas. The reverse is true for handguns and 'other firearms.' Gun owners in urban areas are less likely to use guns than those in rural areas, and when they do use them, are more likely to borrow them. Urban gunowners and users are more likely to have received firearms instruction than those living in rural areas. The survey questionnaire and tabular data are provided.