PA Bill Number: SB945
Title: Consolidating the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code; and making repeals.
Description: Consolidating the act of August 9, 1955 (P.L.323, No.130), known as The County Code; and making repeals. ...
Last Action: Third consideration and final passage (199-0)
Last Action Date: Apr 17, 2024
Rifles: 99 percent of the gun control debate, 2 percent of murders :: 09/28/2016
While most of the gun control debate focuses on the debate over banning assault weapons, data from the FBI show such weapons are involved in only a tiny portion of the nation's murders.
Although "assault weapon" has no formal definition, most guns that would be thought of as assault weapons are types of rifles. Yet FBI data show that, in 2015, rifles were the weapon used in less than 2 percent of all murders. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Although "assault weapon" has no formal definition, most guns that would be thought of as assault weapons are types of rifles. Yet FBI data show that, in 2015, rifles were the weapon used in less than 2 percent of all murders.
Firearms were involved in 72 percent of all murders in 2015. Of the murders involving firearms, 67 percent involved handguns, while less than 3 percent involved rifles.
Of the estimated 310 million civilian guns in the country as of 2009, about 114 million are handguns, while there are 110 million rifles.
Handguns are a much more common weapon in murders, yet few try to ban them.
Politically, handguns are harder to ban than rifles. The small size of handguns makes them more feasible for use in self-defense situations. A feeble grandmother probably can't handle a rifle, but a small handgun can be easy.
Yes, rifles and assault weapons look big and scary. Politically, it's probably much more popular to ban them. But the facts show that rifles are a tiny part of the problem.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
