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Old March 11, 2015, 09:23 AM   #1
MagnumWill
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'Major poll shows gun ownership in decline'

This is a story that's been circulating the MSM the past day or two.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/major-sur...132558989.html

Are they seriously under the impression they can call people's land lines, say, "don't worry, we're doing a survey, trust us!", ask them whether they own guns or not (and most likely confirm an address through the home phone number)? Have i gone completely insane?

I'm going to do my own survey right here - would YOU tell a stranger on the phone you own guns?

I'm not sure why i'm posting here, or even a member really because I don't own any guns
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Old March 11, 2015, 09:29 AM   #2
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Have i gone completely insane?
Nope. Not even close.
Anyone calls me asking if I own guns, they get to hear a dial tone when I hang up.

And no one ever said you had to own guns to be a member here. The topics must be gun related is all.
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Old March 11, 2015, 09:33 AM   #3
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I heard this as well on a conservative radio network the other night. I thought to my self "Total BS". I would trust the NRA to have perhaps the best stats on this.
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Old March 11, 2015, 09:50 AM   #4
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Growing numbers believe it's not public information!
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Old March 11, 2015, 09:56 AM   #5
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What are you guys talking about... I haven't owned a gun in years ... Lol
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Old March 11, 2015, 09:59 AM   #6
RC5129
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I guess *somebody* had better go buy some more.
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Old March 11, 2015, 10:06 AM   #7
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I'd tend to have more faith in gun sales over the last 6 years than in any media phone poll. the actual numbers are somewhere just under 50%.

I'm going to do a phone poll asking how many people keep a lot of money in their mattresses when they go on vacation.


Then I'm going to poll convicted felons and ask them if they onw firearms.

Last edited by TimSr; March 11, 2015 at 10:21 AM.
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Old March 11, 2015, 10:08 AM   #8
rickyrick
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Gee wilikers, do you think it would be ok to buy more guns?


I really want to report that I have one...

Anyway.... There's some newly liberated areas that should bring up the numbers...

Does anyone know of any recent cash for gun turn ins?
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Old March 11, 2015, 10:19 AM   #9
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I’ve seen other polls and heard various individuals make this same point. Whether the specific numbers in the poll are correct I tend to believe the overall observation probably is. Now, this does not mean that the trend will continue and some recent growth in non-traditional gun ownership may turn this around. It’s another example of the importance of the firearms community being more open to new individuals and seeking to promote a positive image.
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Old March 11, 2015, 10:54 AM   #10
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Considering the source - my BS flag went straight up. My brain instantly went this route - What's not said it the poll likely was taken of younger students in die hard blue colleges in locales with draconian firearm laws. And even then they found that 3 in 10 students had access to or owned firearms. That bothered them enough to sell the biased poll as a demographic country wide.

but then again, that may be just my own sarcasm meter making it's own slanted decisions.

But again, if I got a random call asking if I owned a firearm my answer would be a resounding no as well. The fact that despite the anti-gun craziness at the higher levels in today's society - that 32% of people are still willing to openly say they have at least one firearm, if not several. tells me that the number of households that have one really is much closer to 68%, and likely higher.
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Old March 11, 2015, 11:11 AM   #11
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What guns?
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Old March 11, 2015, 11:12 AM   #12
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What did Joseph Goebbels say about lies?
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Old March 11, 2015, 11:30 AM   #13
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Quote:
I would trust the NRA to have perhaps the best stats on this.
Actually, the NSSF is your best source. We saw record high levels of NICS background checks all through 2014.

Bear in mind that number doesn't include private sales (40% by the antis claims!) or sales exempted by state permits.

The allegation that gun ownership is declining simply can't be squared with that data.
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Old March 11, 2015, 11:46 AM   #14
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Support for requiring a gun permit climbed to a peak of 82 percent in the late 1990's, but has fallen since then. The 72 percent who support requiring a permit now is at its lowest level since 1987.
From the Yahoo article linked above. This is the more interesting item. But, I don't know what "requiring a permit" means. I find this very misleading and certainly a hidden message beyond the general theme of the article suggesting that because of the reduced hunting in households. that gun ownership is down.

What exactly requires a permit? Carry? Ownership? Purchase? Since I am a tin hat kind of person in general, my interpretation is that the information suggests that people want registration.

I don't believe the statistics reported. If I got a telephone call, survey, I would absolutely not respond that I own a firearm or that there is a firearm in my household/home at all. I do not tell medical people anything more than they need to know and certainly anything about gun ownership. I think that Americans are more hesitant and restrictive in providing information that relate to freedoms than ever.
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Old March 11, 2015, 11:46 AM   #15
Frank Ettin
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom Servo
...Actually, the NSSF is your best source. We saw record high levels of NICS background checks all through 2014.

Bear in mind that number doesn't include private sales (40% by the antis claims!) or sales exempted by state permits.

The allegation that gun ownership is declining simply can't be squared with that data.
Except do those statistics tell us anything about how many of those sales were to people who already had a gun, and how many to people who were acquiring their first gun?

Many of us with guns buy more guns, but furthering the RKBA requires that we involve new people in shooting and gun ownership.
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Old March 11, 2015, 11:50 AM   #16
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The KY NICs check totals never made sense to me relative to the population until I learned that the State Police run background checks yearly on all carry permit holders. I read this on the internet, so it could be incorrect, but it feels right.
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Old March 11, 2015, 12:18 PM   #17
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Tamara had the best take on it: http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot...rs-figure.html

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tamara
The FBI keeps recording month after month of record numbers of background checks, and yet gun ownership is supposedly on the decline, presumably because those purple LCPs Ruger keeps cranking out by the tens of thousands are going to a handful of elderly male gun collector Tea Party survivalist nuts.
I wish I could snark half as well as she does.

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Old March 11, 2015, 12:32 PM   #18
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From the article:
"The General Social Survey is administered by NORC at the University of Chicago, primarily using in-person interviewing."

This wasn't a telephone poll. Nevertheless, I feel confident stating that most gunowners, given today's climate about guns vilified by MSM, wouldn't answer honestly to any stranger, either in person or telephone.

All this survey tells is the people admitting gun ownership is down.
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Old March 11, 2015, 01:34 PM   #19
DaleA
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Quote:
TimSr-I'd tend to have more faith in gun sales over the last 6 years than in any media phone poll
Quote:
Tom Servo-Actually, the NSSF is your best source. We saw record high levels of NICS background checks all through 2014.
Very good points.

Years and years ago when I was young I remember people felt kind of privileged to be include in a poll. Now I think many are annoyed and lie to pollsters just for sport.
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Old March 11, 2015, 01:41 PM   #20
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I tend to trust Gallup's numbers more than anyone else's -- and of course there's still the issue of false negatives, people who own guns but would never admit it to a stranger.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1645/guns.aspx

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Old March 11, 2015, 01:51 PM   #21
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Paranoids survive !!!

Quote:
I'm going to do my own survey right here - would YOU tell a stranger on the phone you own guns?
I'm sorry but I don't understand your question. I guess it all depends on that the word; Tell, really means. I might have to recalibrate my answer.

Be Safe !!!
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Old March 11, 2015, 01:55 PM   #22
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I am more than skeptical of any survey like this, both for the reasons others have stated (that gun owners would not willingly volunteer the info that they have guns in their home) and because so much of the major media have an anti gun agenda, and are looking for "facts" that support their viewpoint. I guess it gives them hope to think that gun owning households are decreasing, and maybe hoping that those who do have guns will feel that they are the oddballs and will rid themselves of their guns. The continuing high level of gun sales, the strengthening of pro-gun laws in states around the country, and the total failure of the Administration to get new gun control at the federal level all tells me that gun ownership is likely growing, not decreasing.
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Old March 11, 2015, 02:36 PM   #23
Skans
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I'm going to do my own survey right here - would YOU tell a stranger on the phone you own guns?
What phone???
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Old March 11, 2015, 02:46 PM   #24
CowTowner
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What phone???
The can with the string coming out of the closed end.
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Old March 11, 2015, 03:15 PM   #25
Prof Young
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????

Guns? What guns?
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