Texas Gun Ownership
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Regardless of whether you’re for or against gun law legislation, when it comes to Texas, it would be just about as easy to get the Pope out of the Catholic Church as it would wrench the firearms from the convicted fingers of true-blue Texans who often liken the right to carry a gun with the right of childbirth. Ask almost any Texan, and they’ll tell you owning a gun is “natural.”
Oh, don’t expect to get roiled in a conversation about what is right or wrong, whether gun legislation is a good thing or a bad thing, or whether or not people are responsible enough to own and use a firearm. This article has nothing to do with right or wrong. Just like the guy who couldn’t see the forest for the trees, if you want to discuss the finer points for or against gun laws, you’ve landed in the wrong place.
Perhaps if you favor banning gun ownership, you might at least glean from this feature the nature of the beast you’re up against in Texas. After all, banning handguns in Washington, D.C., makes a little sense when you consider that’s where Congress hangs out. And we don’t want those boys carrying guns around!
But in Texas, taking guns our of the hands of Texans would sort of be like asking Texans not to drink ‘sweet tea,’ or to refrain from standing when they hear the band strike up the “Eyes of Texas.” When it comes to taking guns away from Texans, it’s like it was put to me bluntly by my Uncle Willis, “It ain’t gonna happen.”
Read also: Can a Felon Own a Gun in Texas
How Many Guns Are in Texas?
It is difficult to provide an exact number of how many guns in Texas because there is no comprehensive database or registry that tracks the number of firearms in the state. However, it is estimated that Texas has one of the highest numbers of guns per capita in the United States.
According to a report by the Small Arms Survey, a research project based in Geneva, Switzerland, there were an estimated 22.3 million guns in Texas in 2018, equivalent to about 1.19 guns per person. This number is higher than the national average, estimated to be around one gun per person.
According to The Trace, Texas gun sales spiked in June 2020 with a total of 209,613 purchased. In July 2023, Texans purchase 62,141 handguns and 36,457.
It’s worth noting that these estimates are based on various data sources, including surveys, registration records, and firearm production figures, and are subject to some degree of error. Additionally, these estimates do not necessarily reflect the number of guns owned by legal, law-abiding citizens versus those owned illegally or by criminals.
How many guns can you own in Texas?
In Texas, there is no limit to the number of firearms an individual can own. As long as the person is not prohibited from owning firearms due to a criminal conviction or other legal restrictions, they are free to purchase and possess any number of guns.
It is important to note that specific regulations still apply when purchasing and possessing firearms in Texas. For example, all purchasers must pass a background check, and those under 21 years of age are not allowed to purchase handguns. Furthermore, certain types of firearms may be restricted for sale depending on the buyer’s residency status.
Depending on where you live in Texas, there may be additional restrictions on how you store your guns or where you can take them.
Gun ownership in Texas is a universal phenomenon. There are more gun owners in Texas than in other states in the Union. It is estimated that Texans own around 51 million firearms. That’s more firearms than those owned by the 300 million people that make up the 15 nations of the EU. America is the number one gun-owning nation in the world. But Texans possess nearly 20% of all the guns in America. (The U.S. gun count is estimated at around 240 million).
How many weapons does the average Texan own?
Now you do the math. With about 24 million Texans living in the Lone Star State, the average person, including every man, woman, and child, owns a little over two guns each. (Hey, maybe that’s where the popular saying comes from, “Don’t Mess With Texas”!)
All joking aside, Texans are wild about their guns. State statistics show that 147,819 Texans have permits to carry concealed weapons. And that number is growing. Texans have been permitted to carry concealed weapons since January 1996, so long as the state Department of Public Safety licenses them.
The exact number of weapons owned by the average Texan is challenging. However, according to a survey conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety in 2018, there are approximately 8.2 million firearms in Texas. This means that there are about nine firearms for every 10 Texans.
In addition, according to the same survey, around 4.5 million Texans own at least one firearm, which means that about 40% of Texans own a gun. Furthermore, it was found that about 1.4 million individuals own five or more firearms, suggesting that some Texans may own multiple weapons.
Overall, it is clear that many Texans own firearms, and the exact number varies from person to person. It is important to note that all firearm owners must abide by state and federal laws regarding owning and using firearms.
But what’s it all about? Why the big deal about gun ownership in Texas?
State historian Steven Lindbergh says it all concerns the real Texas spirit. He says:
“People were told by the Mexican government in the early 19th century they were only allowed to have one rifle to ward off Indian attack or to protect against wild animals. Any Texan worth anything knew you needed more than one gun to defend your home or farm. The last time a government threatened to take away the guns of Texans, there was a revolution, and we all know how that turned out.”
And it’s true. Texas is a big, big state. Even in modern times, it’s not uncommon to see ranch workers openly carrying guns strapped to their belts. There are snakes and coyotes, mountain lions and bears, Bandidos, and tax collectors. You never know when you’ll need a good iron strapped to your hip.
Regarding gun ownership in an urban setting, some would argue there’s more wildlife and danger in town than there is on the ranch, so owning and using a gun, if necessary, is paramount to survival.
Of course, plenty would argue gun ownership leads to increased violence. And that’s a hard point to argue. If you carried a gun and someone threatened your life or a family member, would you use it to protect your rights? Most Texans would, and that, I suppose, promotes violence. But as most Texans would say, it also ends at a critical time when it needs an ending.
But whether right or wrong or against the law, taking the guns out of Texas is like asking Alaska to give up winter. It might look good on paper, but it will not happen anytime soon.
Citations
The Small Arms Survey report “Small Arms Survey 2018: From Legal to Lethal – Global and Regional Patterns of Military, Security, and Civilian Firearm Proliferation” (http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/U-Reports/SAS-Report-SANA-2018.pdf) provides estimates of civilian firearm ownership in each state of the United States, including Texas.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) publishes annual reports on firearms commerce in the United States, which include data on firearm production, imports, exports, and sales. The latest report is for 2020 and can be found on the ATF’s website (https://www.atf.gov/resource-center/docs/firearms-commerce-united-states-annual-statistical-update-2020/download).
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), a trade association for the firearms industry, publishes an annual report on the economic impact of the firearms and ammunition industry in the United States. The latest report is for 2020 and can be found on the NSSF’s website (https://www.nssf.org/government-relations/firearms-industry-economic-impact-data/).