You may have heard the quote often attributed to Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto that “You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.” Whether or not the admiral actually said that doesn’t take away from the fact that civilians in America are probably better armed than the civilian population of any other country, thanks to the Second Amendment.
Civilian arms ownership was pivotal to the success of the revolutionaries who fought against the British. And it’s easy to imagine that any military that hit land on U.S. shores would be harassed incessantly by Americans armed with millions of guns and billions of rounds of ammunition.
So, just how many guns do Americans have? According to the Small Arms Survey, there are 393 million firearms in civilian possession in the United States, averaging out to about 1.2 guns per person, the highest rate of any country by far. Only the Falkland Islands and Yemen come anywhere close to American civilian gun ownership at .6 guns and .5 guns per person, respectively.
In the 2024 edition of Ammo.com’s “Most Popular Guns in the U.S.,” the authors noted that “Glock handguns and AR-15 rifles have sold more variants than any other firearms on the market.” Among the study’s “Must-Have Guns of 2024” were:
- AK-47
- Ruger 10/22
- Glock Pistols
- AR-15 Rifles
- 1911 Models
- Remington 870
- SIG Sauer P365
- Mossberg 500
- Remington 700
- S&W M&P Shield
If you’re a gun owner in America, it’s likely you own one or more of the models on the list.
Action Line: Just like their colonial ancestors, Americans are armed and dangerous to tyranny and invasion. If you are going to buy a firearm, please get proper training. If the time comes when you need a firearm for self-defense, you won’t rise to the occasion; you’ll fall to the level of your training. Make sure that level is high enough to get the job done. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
