It really isn't that hard to find.
publicdata.norc.org:41000/gss/Documents/Codebook/A.pdf
It's not the messenger. The sample is a national probability sample, spread around the country. Statistically it will do a better job of predicting the national population than any other survey design. It is sure a lot better than anecdote and gut feel.
That said, I believe it is inaccurate in this case. Not because of flawed sampling, but for the reason so many here on TFL cite. Since 1972 fewer and fewer people have been willing to provide any answer to that question (and it is just one question about gun ownership).
I think most of the refusals are probably owners but I have no data to support that. In point of fact the closest thing we have is the NSSF NICS data. And it is an analog at best. Their formula attempts to extract the permit checks, transfers, and pawn remits. So the NSSF data are an approximation of new sales absent other administrative checks. But it assumes purchases/transfers are equivalent to ownership.
The only truly knowledgeable body is the industry itself. They know their own sales. They know how many are exported and how many are government sales. But their data are proprietary and they are disinclined to share.
So, if we actually want to know the answer we have to be willing to cooperate. Absent that it is all uniformed speculation.
publicdata.norc.org:41000/gss/Documents/Codebook/A.pdf
It's not the messenger. The sample is a national probability sample, spread around the country. Statistically it will do a better job of predicting the national population than any other survey design. It is sure a lot better than anecdote and gut feel.
That said, I believe it is inaccurate in this case. Not because of flawed sampling, but for the reason so many here on TFL cite. Since 1972 fewer and fewer people have been willing to provide any answer to that question (and it is just one question about gun ownership).
I think most of the refusals are probably owners but I have no data to support that. In point of fact the closest thing we have is the NSSF NICS data. And it is an analog at best. Their formula attempts to extract the permit checks, transfers, and pawn remits. So the NSSF data are an approximation of new sales absent other administrative checks. But it assumes purchases/transfers are equivalent to ownership.
The only truly knowledgeable body is the industry itself. They know their own sales. They know how many are exported and how many are government sales. But their data are proprietary and they are disinclined to share.
So, if we actually want to know the answer we have to be willing to cooperate. Absent that it is all uniformed speculation.