Newsweek.com: Society: America’s Weapons of Choice




















		What Must Be Done In the Line of Fire The Gun War Comes Home What the Candidates Say 'I Think the Real Target Is the Second Amendment' A Visitor from the Dark Side Clouds Over Gun Valley America's Weapons of Choice The New Age of Anxiety Mourn For The Killers, Too Schools on the Alert All Carnage, All The Time A Lower Body Count The Psyche of A 'Gunocracy'













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America's Weapons of Choice page 2

Top firearms traced to crimes, 1998

Manufacturer Type Caliber Traces

Smith & Wesson Revolver .38 8,096

Lorcin Engin. Pistol .380 5,746

Ruger Pistol 9mm 4,594

Raven Arms Pistol .25 4,520

N. China Indus. Rifle 7.62 4,224

Mossberg Shotgun 12ga 3,970

Smith & Wesson Pistol 9mm 3,968

Smith & Wesson Revolver .357 3,849

Davis Industries Pistol .380 3,350

Firearm deaths per 100,000 people*

Selected countries

United States 15.22

Brazil 14.15

Mexico 12.07

Finland 6.86

France 6.35

Australia 2.94

Germany 1.57

England & Wales .46

Japan .07

Percent of homicides using firearms

States with the highest rates, 1997

District of Col. 80%

Mississippi 79

Louisiana 78

Maryland 78

West Virginia 76

Tennessee 76

Lowest rates, 1997

North Dakota 17%

Delaware 31

Iowa 31

Hawaii 33

Wisconsin 42

Nebraska 48

*1992-94 DATA. RESEARCH BY ELLEN FLORIAN, ANA FIGUEROA AND BRET BEGUN. SOURCES: ATF, CDC, FBI, KENNETH GREEN-SAAMI, THE MACMILLAN VISUAL DICTIONARY

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