Handgun Utilization Rates by Customers?

[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.