Gregory recycles ‘40% of guns are purchased without background check’ myth
http://twitter.com/#!/jaycaruso/status/315830840590479360
It’s liberals’ favorite gun control statistic. Who served up the bogus statistic this time? A lowly Daily Kos blogger? A Democratic Underground commenter? No, according to Twitter user @JayCaruso, the incorrect figure was cited this morning by David Gregory, the high-profile moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press.
The “40 percent of guns are purchased without a background check” statement is not true.shar.es/4S5b4
— Jay Caruso (@jaycaruso) January 17, 2013
A “Fact” About Gun Sales That Does Not Hold Up
73% of gun owners say they purchased their firearms. Of that, 63% (not 60%) were purchased through the mail, at a gun store, a pawn shop or other store (other would be Wal-Mart, Gander Mountain, Dick’s Sporting Goods, etc.).
They show that 4% purchased their guns at a gun show. The bulk of sales at gun shows are through FFL’s. But for the sake of the whiners, let’s split it down the middle. 2% at gun shows were through FFL’s and 2% through a private sale. 29% say they acquired their gun from a friend or family member. If we deduct the 24% who say they inherited their firearms or received it as a gift, that leaves us with 5% who purchased it from a family member or friend.
So that leaves 65% of guns purchased where a background check was required. 5% of sales were done between family members and friends without a check. Another 24% were given as gifts or inherited. That leaves the final 6% which were sold in other markets or acquired through a trade. Even if we are generous and include sales between family members and friends, we are left with a figure of eleven percent. Not forty percent.
Still not convinced? See the Washington Post, “Update: Obama claim on background checks moved from ‘verdict pending’ to 2 Pinocchios”
rather than being 30 to 40 percent (the original estimate of the range) or “up to 40 percent” (Obama’s words), gun purchases without background checks amounted to 14 to 22 percent. And since the survey sample is so small, that means the results have a survey caveat: plus or minus six percentage points.
It’s a good thing MSM outlets have layers and layers of fact-checkers:
I have a full time job which is not a journalist & I was able to do basic research @davidgregory could not. bit.ly/VMJouQ
— Jay Caruso (@jaycaruso) March 24, 2013
Update:
We are removing the question mark from our headline. He said it:
Exit question: Will NBC issue a correction?
