While the ATF’s National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record is the only accessible list of its kind, it is not all-inclusive.
NFA firearms only include the categories regulated by The National Firearms Act of 1934: machine guns, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, suppressors, destructive devices like bombs and grenades, concealable devices with the ability to discharge a shot through the energy of an explosive, and any firearm with a bore over half an inch that has not been determined to have a legitimate sporting use.
But some guns fall outside of this scope, and many aren’t registered, meaning surveys on gun ownership come to different conclusions.
(Learn how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) protects the public from crimes involving firearms, explosives, arson, and the diversion of alcohol and tobacco products; regulates lawful commerce in firearms and explosives; and provides worldwide support to law enforcement, public safety, and industry partners. Courtesy of the ATF HQ and YouTube. Posted in August 2017.)
But “Injury Prevention,” a scholarly journal, has released what may be the closest look yet.
Their survey, published in 2015, asked a representative sample of 4,000 adults nationwide whether they own firearms. The findings helped the research group estimate gun ownership rates in each state.
Delaware’s gun ownership rate is the lowest in the country, at 5.2 percent. That’s far below the national average of 29.1 percent.
Here, revolvers are on display at Miller’s Gun Center in New Castle, Delaware.