Handgun Utilization Rates by Customers?

[GardoneVT]

Are there any professionally collected surveys or data logging the number of times a typical handgun owner will shoot their pistol over a given timespan?

Something to the effect of "Over a 1 year timespan, 10% of shooters went to the range 12 times a year, 40% 7 times, etc". Some solid data on how often people shoot would be useful to have.

[Tom Givens]

Colt did a big survey on this some years ago. They determined the average handgun was fired 7 times in its lifetime.

For every hard training shooter like the ones on this forum, there are 100,000 people who buy a handgun, put it in the sock drawer and never touch it again.

[Jay Cunningham]

Used guns are usually a good buy!

[45dotACP]

Colt did a big survey on this some years ago. They determined the average handgun was fired 7 times in its lifetime.

For every hard training shooter like the ones on this forum, there are 100,000 people who buy a handgun, put it in the sock drawer and never touch it again.
Holy shit...I should buy more used guns.

[Default.mp3]

Todd told us at my AFHF that when he was working at Sig, they tried to design a one-time use handgun; you'd buy the gun at the store, and it'd come loaded, without any means of adding more ammunition. They couldn't get it to the price they were targeting, so it didn't go anywhere, but yeah, apparently Sig had market research indicating that such a product would sell...

[hufnagel]

can you imagine the absolute shitstorm such a firearm would have created if they'd succeeded in bringing it to market? Sig might have gone down like Armatix.

[Al T.]

Working at a LGS where we're one of the few that buy and trade, a majority (like 95%) of the handguns bought from an individual or traded in are either unfired or (maybe) have 50 rounds down range. Even with the department trade-in guns, most are obviously fired only at qualification time. The shooter's (in the department) handguns are very easy to identify due to wear, cleanliness and modifications. Those handguns are fairly rare... :(

[JCS]

Colt did a big survey on this some years ago. They determined the average handgun was fired 7 times in its lifetime.

For every hard training shooter like the ones on this forum, there are 100,000 people who buy a handgun, put it in the sock drawer and never touch it again.

Is that 7 rounds or shot on 7 separate occasions?

[Poconnor]

Each time my Dept got new pistols I knew exactly which officers duty guns to buy!!! Detective guns were the good deal. only shot at quals, carried under sport coats , not rained on or bumped against door jams and such. I wish I could have afforded to buy more

[Tom Givens]

Is that 7 rounds or shot on 7 separate occasions?

7 rounds fired, total.

[BehindBlueI's]

Are there any professionally collected surveys or data logging the number of times a typical handgun owner will shoot their pistol over a given timespan?

Something to the effect of "Over a 1 year timespan, 10% of shooters went to the range 12 times a year, 40% 7 times, etc". Some solid data on how often people shoot would be useful to have.

Will shoot a pistol period, or shoot a particular pistol? I'd suggest even among the frequent trainers/shooters, there's likely some guns they don't shoot much so that might change the answer.

I mean, I practice or train with my rifle roughly monthly...but it's nearly always with the same AR. I've got a .30-06 that I've shot exactly one box of 20 cartridges through in 3 years. (I know, that's not handguns, but the point is the same).

Oh, and I completely believe the post by Tom Givens and the results of the Colt study. There's so many "carried but never fired" and flip-floppers at gun shops chasing the latest hardware the 7 rounds total jives quite well. If I had a nickel for every time I've heard someone ask for a handgun, holster, and box of carry ammo..and then turn down practice ammo this year I'd have...probably about enough to mail a letter. But it happens.

I was leaving the indoor range/gun shop today and heard a guy asking for "two matching 9mm pistols and a double shoulder holster because I've always thought that was cool." I suspect there's a lot more "because it's cool" guys than shooters.

[Totem Polar]

7 rounds fired, total.

That just boggles my mind.

[Shotgun]

Colt did a big survey on this some years ago. They determined the average handgun was fired 7 times in its lifetime.

For every hard training shooter like the ones on this forum, there are 100,000 people who buy a handgun, put it in the sock drawer and never touch it again.

Wow. Extremely surprising. I shoot shotguns all the time, and never considered myself a handgun guy. However, next to these folks, I'm a salty expert. Used handguns are sounding like a good buy.

[Nephrology]

I mean, I practice or train with my rifle roughly monthly...but it's nearly always with the same AR. I've got a .30-06 that I've shot exactly one box of 20 cartridges through in 3 years. (I know, that's not handguns, but the point is the same).

I'm guilty of this as well. Especially with my J frame... though, in my defense, that is a very rarely carried gun these days.

[rcbusmc24]

I own 47 handguns, I regularly shoot about 6 of them, I'm not helping the statistical average at all I guess, but those 6, yeah, they get shot.......a lot.

[ReverendMeat]

Wow. Extremely surprising. I shoot shotguns all the time, and never considered myself a handgun guy. However, next to these folks, I'm a salty expert. Used handguns are sounding like a good buy.

Not really that surprising. Duder buys a gun + a box of hollow points. Shoots one magazine/one cylinder for "practice" and calls it a day.

[11B10]

The grip doesn't even get warmed up in 7 rounds!

[CCT125US]

Interesting idea, but not sure how a survey could be accurately carried out. You would need folks to tell a very private piece of data. Guns owned. It would also rely an accurate tracking of rounds fired. How many shooters do that? Heck, I have a NIB P30, a 45C that I put a whopping 25 rounds through the first year, and a v3 that has 75 rounds through it. However, others have >10K, and what about guns no longer owned, like a P30 with >80k? I think such a survey would be highly inaccurate.

[Shotgun]

Not really that surprising. Duder buys a gun + a box of hollow points. Shoots one magazine/one cylinder for "practice" and calls it a day.

Hard to understand for me. I've had a few firearms in my day, and I was excited about shooting each one. I'm a strong supporter of the 2nd, but I can't imagine buying a new or used handgun and not having the desire to shoot it more than one magazine/cylinder. That would be akin to trying to eat just one potato chip. But, this goes a long way to explaining the evidence of errant shots into side-walls, target frames, and even ceilings at a few of the ranges to which I have been. The person shooting his one magazine/cylinder just can't shoot.

[GardoneVT]

Interesting idea, but not sure how a survey could be accurately carried out. You would need folks to tell a very private piece of data. Guns owned. It would also rely an accurate tracking of rounds fired. How many shooters do that? Heck, I have a NIB P30, a 45C that I put a whopping 25 rounds through the first year, and a v3 that has 75 rounds through it. However, others have >10K, and what about guns no longer owned, like a P30 with >80k? I think such a survey would be highly inaccurate.


For context,I took a class where one of the students posed a question about their P30. She asked how often a gun needed to be fired in order to "still be useful". When the instructor asked for clarification on what she meant, her explaination was thus; after the class she was gonna put it in a drawer and was concerned some component of the pistol would degrade .

Colts survey may not have 100% accurate sampling, but it matches my own real world observations.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Two things:

Years ago, the Texas CHL instructor organization did an informal survey of CHL students and found 80% didn't carry at all. They just wanted a 'car gun' without hassles. If that has changed I don't know, given the new TX laws - there are certainly folks get CHLs in large numbers.

Second:

Denny Hansen had this informal and small survey in the latest issue of SWAT:


Awhile back I conducted a short, informal survey with 100 of my former
concealed-carry class students.
The questions included:
Do you carry your handgun every day?
If not every day, how often do you carry?
What handgun do you carry?
How do you carry (OWB, IWB, appendix, etc)?
How often do you practice?

Sixty-two said they carry every day. This group preferred auto pistols,
with only three of them carrying revolvers. All but four carried outside the
waistband, and replied they went to the range at least twice a month, and
devoted a total of around two hours a week to dry fire.
Thirteen replied they carry three to four times a week. All carried pistols
and in every imaginable way, including ankle and cross-draw rigs.
This group went to the range one to two times a month, and only six said
they did any dry fire.

I was very disappointed in the remaining 25—a full quarter of the students
questioned. Most carried a concealed weapon only once or twice a
month. They often switched between different handguns as well as how
they carried, and practice was almost non-existent. The reasons they gave
were that handguns were too uncomfortable to carry, they only carried
when going into a “dangerous area,” and they couldn’t find the time to go
to the range or dry fire.

[Randy Harris]

William Aprill (in the Establishing a Dominance Paradigm class) mentioned that SAAMI estimates 25% of all handguns are NEVER fired at all. They are bought, loaded (or not) and put in the sock drawer until they are sold or inherited by a relative.

There are about 100 million GUN OWNERS, there are probably 20 million OCCASIONAL SHOOTERS, 11 million carry permit holders, probably 2 million REGULAR SHOOTERS , a half million competitive shooters and probably maybe 2000 SERIOUS GUNMEN in the US (and that is DOUBLING it from what Tom G says that number probably is)..... all of that compared to 300 million guns in the US...that leads to a LOT of guns never being fired.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

By competitive, do you mean those who take part in some organized venue - like IDPA, USPSA, SAS, Steel Challenge, etc.? I have a gut feel that the number is too high if one looks at organized competition. There must be a membership number list out there. However, I am going to the dentist so I won't look for it.

[Randy Harris]

Hey Glenn, that is IDPA, USPSA, Steel Challenge, GSSF, CMP, NRA Highpower, NRA Bullseye, PPC, SASS, NCOWS, silhouette, 3gun, rimfire , black powder, NSSA, NMLRA, turkey shoots, skeet, trap, etc.... ALL competitive shooting disciplines. And truthfully 500,000 is probably a bit high but there are A LOT of people competing, even if not serious competitors and just doing it for fun at their local monthly matches.

You cannot just take "members lists" to establish a number though because there are lots of folks who shoot at local club level matches who never join the organizations. At my local IDPA match we might have 100 people at the monthly match (yes really a 100)but of those probably 40 are not current IDPA members with a classification and many of those never have been and never will be members because they just shoot for recreation and fun one weekend a month.

[Rex G]

I used to moonlight in the daylight*, working security at an FFL. An employee told me that he believed 90-something % of the firearms that were brought in by customers, to be sold or traded, were unfired.

*My main job is night shift police patrol.

[BehindBlueI's]

I would take any self reporting with a spoon of salt, particularly if done face to face vs anonymously. I suspect many more students say they carry more often than they do, say they practice more often, etc. when ego is on the line. Same as everyone eats better, exercises more, and smokes less when at the doctor's office.

[CCT125US]

When I sold off my beater P30, I was asked what the hell I did to it. I said I shot it, a lot. Looks kind of out of place next to the other "used" HKs.

[RJ]

Wow I'm shocked, really.

I'm new to guns and thought, geez, I kind of need to, you know, shoot them.

I guess I'm outside the norm. I traded my M&P (3,000+ rounds) and Walther PPS M2 (926 rounds) in recently. Gun shop never did ask me how many rounds they had. Now I know why lol.

My VP9 has 1,900+ rounds, my recently aqcuired P30SK is at 126 rounds. And I get to the range about once a month.

[rdtompki]

Our average is high but skewed. Our two competition guns see 30K rounds/year each; the backups have seen a total of perhaps 2000 rounds and my wife's HD gun (same make/model) perhaps 500 rounds (and it isn't degrading in the lock box!). We have a few other handguns that won't see more than 500 rounds each (RIA 1911, Buckmark, ...). Unless you're a collector why own something you're not going to shoot?

[ranger]

GA had had concealed carry permits for a long time. I know many gun owners with CCW but I know vey few who actually carry. Most get the CCW to facilitate firearm purchases "just in case" or so they feel "safer (legally)" having a pistol in the car. I doubt that most IDPA and USPSA competitors in my area carry regularly. The local "Outdoors Trader - ODT" firearms internet listing is a great example - if a "used" firearm is posted and that firearm has been fired more than 100 rounds - you would think it is "worn out" by the postings.

[GardoneVT]

Our average is high but skewed. Our two competition guns see 30K rounds/year each; the backups have seen a total of perhaps 2000 rounds and my wife's HD gun (same make/model) perhaps 500 rounds (and it isn't degrading in the lock box!). We have a few other handguns that won't see more than 500 rounds each (RIA 1911, Buckmark, ...). Unless you're a collector why own something you're not going to shoot?

It is a matter of perspective. Ordinary folk think 100 rounds a year is a lot, and 2000 rounds material insanity. I had one guy check into the range desk who stated he was practicing for a USPSA match the next day . He shot 200 rounds through his CZs at 10 yards and called it done.

[P.E. Kelley]

Interesting that this subject came up...I just shot this video a few days ago and it seems to fit right in here.
In reading this thread, I shot more in this video than the "new gun buyer" may ever!


https://youtu.be/YR0UbeNqKIQ

[Glenn E. Meyer]

One thing that I noticed at matches, was that we would have a crowd of 60 and perhaps 15 were new shooters (if you counted at the newbie instruction presentation before the match). But it was a new set most of the time. If the yield was a significant percent, then the attendance would skyrocket. So I wonder how many folks try a match and then don't continue? What is the reason for not continuing (beyond expense or time constraints). I know I don't shoot all the available discipline around here for those reasons. I took a 'gun' guy to a match and he 'loved' it but never went again. Other folks I ask out - say -well, I need to practice at the 'range' before. Never do either.

Yep, lots of folks are not members of groups but I guess I was pessimistic about competitors in organized venues.

[Sero Sed Serio]

Our average is high but skewed. Our two competition guns see 30K rounds/year each; the backups have seen a total of perhaps 2000 rounds and my wife's HD gun (same make/model) perhaps 500 rounds (and it isn't degrading in the lock box!). We have a few other handguns that won't see more than 500 rounds each (RIA 1911, Buckmark, ...). Unless you're a collector why own something you're not going to shoot?

I'm guessing a lot of people on this forum skew the results similarly--one or two training guns that are at one extreme of the bell curve, with one or more identical copies that are function-tested and then carried (or maybe stashed aside as a backup to the carry), but rarely shot.

[Joe in PNG]

There's also the gun enthusiast- this guy spends more time and money buying guns than shooting them. When he gets a new gun, sure, he's excited about it... for a week or so. Then he gets bored with it, and it gets traded later.
If he does go to the range, he takes a dozen or so guns in just as many calibers and shoots each just a little bit. He's also really into "carry rotations", and will happily carry a gun he's never even shot.

Yeah, this used to be me.

[Shotgun]

Unless you're a collector why own something you're not going to shoot?
My mindset as well. I view my firearms as tools.

[Alembic]

Love the inclusive nature of these comments. You might want to become more warm and fuzzy if...

if you want to bring these shooters into the fold, or guess what, they are going to vote against you.

Sure, you can critique and criticizes them, or you could coddle them and help them vote pro Amendment #2.

Please be an ambassador, every time you are at the range.

[GardoneVT]

Love the inclusive nature of these comments. You might want to become more warm and fuzzy if...

if you want to bring these shooters into the fold, or guess what, they are going to vote against you.

Sure, you can critique and criticizes them, or you could coddle them and help them vote pro Amendment #2.

Please be an ambassador, every time you are at the range.

Error 404 : Relevance to original topic not found......

[mtnbkr]

It is a matter of perspective. Ordinary folk think 100 rounds a year is a lot, and 2000 rounds material insanity.

Not the ordinary, non-gun-owning folks I've met. They may not expect to burn through 2k rounds a year, but they don't believe 100 is a lot either (the non-gunny I took to the range a few months ago burned up 100 rounds of 9mm all by his lonesome on that trip).

Maybe a teeny weeny bit of hyperbole there?

Chris

[hufnagel]

Love the inclusive nature of these comments. You might want to become more warm and fuzzy if...

if you want to bring these shooters into the fold, or guess what, they are going to vote against you.

Sure, you can critique and criticizes them, or you could coddle them and help them vote pro Amendment #2.

Please be an ambassador, every time you are at the range.

I'm not trying to jump on you but, would you mind citing the posts that have you forming this opinion?
If referring to Glen's post, I think that he's more ?wtf? as to why people say they liked doing something and claim they want to do it again, but don't. What's the stumbling block that prevents them from showing up again. And how could we maybe help get them over that hurdle.

[Peally]

My most unused guns that I never touch ever have hundreds of rounds through them. I will admit I laughed and was not surprised at the "7 rounds" tidbit.

[peterb]

One thing that I noticed at matches, was that we would have a crowd of 60 and perhaps 15 were new shooters (if you counted at the newbie instruction presentation before the match). But it was a new set most of the time. If the yield was a significant percent, then the attendance would skyrocket. So I wonder how many folks try a match and then don't continue? What is the reason for not continuing (beyond expense or time constraints). I know I don't shoot all the available discipline around here for those reasons. I took a 'gun' guy to a match and he 'loved' it but never went again. Other folks I ask out - say -well, I need to practice at the 'range' before. Never do either.

Yep, lots of folks are not members of groups but I guess I was pessimistic about competitors in organized venues.

I guess I'm one of them. Enjoyed the shooting, but there was a good turnout and way too much time waiting. If I knew I could go, shoot the match, and be done in a couple of hours I'd be tempted to do more, but if it's going to take all day there are other things I'd rather do.

[BN]

So I wonder how many folks try a match and then don't continue? What is the reason for not continuing (beyond expense or time constraints).

I think a lot of people come to their first match under the mistaken impression that they are already good. :( Then they are overwhelmed by the skills shown by the experienced shooters and don't come back. I've been shooting competitions for 35 years. I've seen a few come and go. :(

[GardoneVT]

I think a lot of people come to their first match under the mistaken impression that they are already good. :( Then they are overwhelmed by the skills shown by the experienced shooters and don't come back. I've been shooting competitions for 35 years. I've seen a few come and go. :(

Climbing the competition shooting ladder is an expensive proposition. Training and skill play a part, but like any other sport you have to pay to play.

[mc1911]

I think a lot of people come to their first match under the mistaken impression that they are already good. :( Then they are overwhelmed by the skills shown by the experienced shooters and don't come back. I've been shooting competitions for 35 years. I've seen a few come and go. :(

So true. This could've been me but I had the fortune to take a class with Manny Bragg before even knowing about USPSA. I just wanted to learn how to shoot better and he was reasonably close. It was his class that tuned up my interest in shooting matches but only because I saw what "good" is and was ready to learn more and practice what I'd been taught.

If I'd shown up at a match first, thinking I knew something, it might have been demoralizing. The gap between a C class shooter and people who throw a few mags down an indoor range on occasion is shockingly wide. A Master or GM class? Most people have never considered the possibility of skills at that level, much less that the local computer engineer or salesman has them.

[Nephrology]

Climbing the competition shooting ladder is an expensive proposition. Training and skill play a part, but like any other sport you have to pay to play.

Ego is another big part of it. Some people are allergic to reality checks.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Well, if one has better things to do with one's time, there is no argument. For me, getting up at 7 AM, getting to the match at 9:00 ish and leaving about 2:00 is not a large time constraint. Standing around waiting to shoot. Not a problem, fun folks to talk to and learn things or tell them stuff. Get to see folks like HCM and Skyline plus my other friends. Casual shooters, some national champions, law enforcement folks, newbies, service people. Yeah, I could stay home and play with the lawn.

It's worth the time to keep the technical gun handling skills up. Doing other things doesn't do that.

[Nephrology]

Well, if one has better things to do with one's time, there is no argument. For me, getting up at 7 AM, getting to the match at 9:00 ish and leaving about 2:00 is not a large time constraint. Standing around waiting to shoot. Not a problem, fun folks to talk to and learn things or tell them stuff. Get to see folks like HCM and Skyline plus my other friends. Casual shooters, some national champions, law enforcement folks, newbies, service people. Yeah, I could stay home and play with the lawn.

It's worth the time to keep the technical gun handling skills up. Doing other things doesn't do that.

For sure. I haven't shot a match in over a year and it kills me, but unfortunately due to my schedule, weekend AMs are very hard to sacrifice. They are a really good way to self-assess. I know lots of folks complaint that USPSA is for gamers, yada yada, but you won't do decently at a USPSA match unless you have good fundamentals. There's no way around it.

[TCinVA]

Colt did a big survey on this some years ago. They determined the average handgun was fired 7 times in its lifetime.

For every hard training shooter like the ones on this forum, there are 100,000 people who buy a handgun, put it in the sock drawer and never touch it again.

My uncle bought a Beretta .380 during the Nixon administration.

A couple of years ago he called me up asking for advice on buying something for concealed carry and mentioned that he had the Beretta and that I should check it out when I next visited in a few days. I visited and saw his Beretta. And right beside it was the box of ammunition he bought with the gun. The few rounds missing from the box were the only rounds that had ever been fired from that pistol.

Most handguns in this country could just as well be set behind glass that says "Break in case of emergency"

[jwperry]

I guess I'm one of them. Enjoyed the shooting, but there was a good turnout and way too much time waiting. If I knew I could go, shoot the match, and be done in a couple of hours I'd be tempted to do more, but if it's going to take all day there are other things I'd rather do.

This was it for me. Because of child care and other adult responsibilities, I was always leaving matches early. I participated in 11 matches in 2 years before completing my first one.