Do Gun Control Groups Still Want to Argue Gun Ownership is Shrinking?

Licensing has at least one upside, in that it offers a peek as to what gun ownership levels are really doing. The gun control groups have been consistently asserting that the Great Panic was entirely the result of a small handful of extremists stockpiling more guns. Well, the numbers coming out of Illinois would beg to differ:

Whereas a few years ago, 1.2 million Illinoisans held Firearm Owners Identification cards, the number has jumped to 1.6 million, state police spokeswoman Monique Bond said. Soon after the court decreed in December that Illinois couldn’t ban public carry anymore, demand for FOID cards jumped precipitously.

That throws a lot of cold water on their theory. I also suspect that the spike in numbers is a result of Chicago residents now being able to exercise their constitutional rights.  I’m not sure the article’s author gave much consideration to the fact that Chicago’s licensing regime was laid to waste by the new concealed carry law, making the FOID card the only barrier to entry for getting a handgun in the Windy City.

Related posts (automatically generated):

  1. Holding Gun Rights Hostage
  2. Illinois Doesn’t Age Discriminate for FOID
  3. Too Young for an FOID?

7 thoughts on “Do Gun Control Groups Still Want to Argue Gun Ownership is Shrinking?”

  1. The problem is how people perceive statistics… Take this gallup poll: http://www.gallup.com/poll/150353/self-reported-gun-ownership-highest-1993.aspx

    It’s done in percentages of the population. What is not indicated is the actual population each year a poll was taken. America has more people in 2013 than it did in 1993, so even though the percentage is higher in 1993, it doesn’t mean that number of gun owners went down. In fact, it has gone up, it’s just the non-gun owning population has gotten a bit larger.

    1. Your argument makes no sense. You do realize that the poll you’re linking to says that gun ownership as a percentage INCREASED, don’t you?

  2. Question: can you buy more than one gun per FOID?
    If so, it could mean a MUCH larger increase than apparent.

    Merle

    1. The FOID in Illinois is not a purchase card that’s similar to a scheme like New Jersey, where individual purchase permits are required for a gun. They are a little more like one of the lower classes of Licenses in Massachusetts – a requirement to purchase a gun or ammunition. But, you don’t have to get a card per gun.

      2. In NJ you only need one card per purchaser for longarms – the single-use permit is for handguns only. Complicated by it being a practical requirement to purchase handgun ammo, but not to own any firearms…

  3. I’ve argued this with people who agree that 65 million NICS checks during Obama’s presidency means 65 million gun purchases, but then they also argue that all 65 million went ONLY to 80 million previous gun owners making arsenals of more than one gun.

    Then they won’t discuss the many reports from gun sellers that young women, kids, and folks over 45 make up the bulk of first time buyers, paralleling marketing efforts by NSSF and expanded concealed carry laws.

    There is no arguing with some people.

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