What caliber guns do criminals prefer?
In their 1983 study, Wright, Rossi, and Daly asked a sample of felons about the handgun they had most recently acquired. Of the felons sampled--
29% had acquired a .38 caliber handgun
20% had acquired a .357 caliber handgun
16% had acquired a .22 caliber handgun.
Sheley and Wright found that the juveniles inmates in their 1991 sample in four States preferred large caliber, high quality handguns. Just prior to their confinement--
58% owned a revolver, usually a .38 or .357 caliber gun
55% owned a semiautomatic handgun, usually a 9 millimeter or .45 caliber gun
51% owned a sawed-off shotgun
35% owned a military-style automatic or semiautomatic rifle.
Do juvenile offenders use different types of guns than adult offenders?
A study of adult and juvenile offenders by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services found that juvenile offenders were more likely than adults to have carried a semiautomatic pistol at the crime scene (18% versus 7%).
They also were more likely to have carried a revolver (10% versus 7%). The same proportion of adults and juveniles (3%) carried a shotgun or rifle at the crime scene.
Some studies of guns used in homicides provide information about caliber
McGonigal and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center studied firearm homicides that occurred in Philadelphia, 145 in 1985 and the 324 in 1990. Most of the firearms used in the homicides studied were handguns; 90% in 1985 and 95% in 1990. In both years, revolvers were the predominant type of handgun used, however, the use of semiautomatic pistols increased from 24% in 1985 to 38% in 1990. The caliber of the handguns used also changed:
In Philadelphia, handguns most often used:
In 1985, of 91 homicides
44% .38 caliber revolver
19% .25 caliber pistol
14% .22 caliber revolver
14% .32 caliber revolver
3% 9 mm pistol
2% .357 caliber revolver
In 1990, of 204 homicides
23% 9 mm pistol
18% .38 caliber revolver
16% .357 caliber revolver
16% .22 caliber revolver
10% .32 caliber revolver
The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services studied 844 homicides that occurred in 18 jurisdictions from 1989 through 1991. Firearms were identified as the murder weapon in 600 cases. Over 70% of the firearms used were handguns. Of those handguns where the caliber and firing action could be identified, 19% were a .38 caliber revolver, 10% were .22 caliber revolvers, and 9% were 9 millimeter semiautomatic pistols.
The Hawaii Department of the Attorney General, Crime Prevention Division, studied 59 firearms-related homicides in Honolulu from 1988 to 1992. Handguns were used in 48 homicides (over 80%) including 11 handguns of 9 millimeter caliber, 10 of .357 caliber, 10 of .38 caliber, and 5 of .25 caliber.
What caliber guns are used in the killings of law enforcement officers?
From 1982 to 1993, of the 687 officers who were killed by firearms other than their own guns, more were killed by .38 caliber handguns than by any other type of weapon.
Percent of law enforcement officers killed with a firearm
Type of firearm:
.38 caliber handgun 25.2%
.357 Magnum handgun 12.1%
9 millimeter handgun 9.5%
12 gauge shotgun 7.4%
.22 caliber handgun 5.4%
.22 caliber rifle 4.4%
