The text looks at the number of guns in private hands and their use (household demand, sport and recreation demand), as well as police weapons use and policy. Fear of crime and popular sentiment against gun ownership are also surveyed. The book explores the characteristics of private weapons owners by region and city size, social status (class, religion, race, and sex), personality, and other factors. The text also looks at violent crime trends, the number of firearms used in crime, criminal motivations, gun control policies (Federal, State, and local regulations), and the effects of gun control legislation on violent crime. The study finds that high crime rates could be caused by widespread gun ownership but that widespread gun ownership may help keep crime rates well below what they might be otherwise. There is no good evidence anywhere that would allow a researcher to choose decisively between these possibilities. Data tables, footnotes, over 200 references, and an index are supplied.