To rectify the lack of comparative data, the international crime survey was conducted through computer- assisted telephone interviews with 28,000 randomly selected respondents in 14 countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, England and Wales, Finland, France, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and the United States). Respondents were asked if they had any firearms in their households. It was found that gun ownership rates varied widely, from as low as 2 percent in the Netherlands to 48 percent in the United States; Canada was somewhat average with 29 percent. To evaluate suicide and homicide rates involving firearms, data were obtained from World Health Organization mortality statistics. Analysis revealed that suicides and homicides committed with guns increased in proportion to gun ownership rates. In general, however, the data suggested that widespread gun ownership did not reduce the likelihood of fatal events committed with means other than guns. Implications of the findings for policymakers and directions for additional research are discussed. 20 references, 1 table, and 5