Culture of The United States - Gun Culture

Gun Culture

Main articles: Gun politics in the United States and Gun culture

From early on, the United States has allowed personal ownership of guns to maintain a militia, which has its roots from the American Revolution. Specifically, the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution allows personal ownership of guns in order to maintain a well-regulated militia. In sharp contrast to most other developed nations, firearms laws in the United States are permissive and private gun ownership is common, with about 40% of households containing at least one firearm. In fact, there are more privately owned firearms in the United States than in any other country, both per capita and in total. Rates of gun ownership vary significantly by region and by state, with gun ownership most common in Alaska, the Plains States, the Mountain States, and the South, and least prevalent in Hawaii, the island territories, and the Northeast megalopolis.

Hunting, plinking and target shooting are popular pastimes, although ownership of firearms for purely utilitarian purposes such as self-defense is common as well. Ownership of handguns, while not uncommon, is less common than ownership of long guns. Gun ownership is considerably more prevalent among men than among women, with men being approximately four times more likely than women to report owning guns.