Rhode Island generally has the fewest registered guns and one of the lowest gun ownership rates, alongside Massachusetts and New Jersey, which also have strict laws and low ownership percentages, making them states with the least firearms.
Which State Has the Most Guns? Texas is estimated to have more guns than any other state: 1,005,555, with just over 29 million residents. Florida trails just behind with 518,725 guns and just over 21 million residents. Rhode Island has the fewest guns: 4,887, and a population of just over 1 million.
#1 New Hampshire. New Hampshire is a Constitutional Carry state with incredibly relaxed gun laws and low crime rates. Any citizen over 18 years old who is lawfully permitted to possess a firearm can open and concealed carry. New Hampshire residents can travel to 29 other states with a pistol and revolver license.
Forty-four states have a provision in their state constitutions similar to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to keep and bear arms. The exceptions are California, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York.
Texas was the state with the highest number of registered weapons in the United States in 2024, with 1,136,732 firearms. Rhode Island, on the other hand, had the least, with 4,895 registered firearms.
New Hampshire tops the list of gun-friendly states for 2025. It is a Constitutional Carry state. Anyone over 18 years old who can lawfully possess a firearm can open or carry a concealed weapon. New Hampshire recognizes gun permits from all other states.
U.S. civilians collectively own over 390 million firearms, which is more than the combined stockpiles of all the world's military and law enforcement agencies. This makes American civilians the largest "armed group" in the world.
Report Highlights:
The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." In 1791, the United States adopted the Second Amendment, and in 1868 adopted the Fourteenth Amendment.
The state fully prohibits the open carry of handguns for residents and nonresidents alike. [1] What's more, the mere possession of a handgun is banned in New York absent a license subject to extremely limited exceptions, most of which relate to biathlon and other shooting competitions.
10 Easiest States to Buy a Gun
California named most regulated state from 2019-2022
State RegData datasets ranked California as America's most regulated state each year from 2019 to 2022.
At the top of this list are the Solomon Islands and South Korea, each with only 0.2 guns per 100 people. They are followed by Timor-Leste, Singapore, Benin, Malawi, North Korea, and Japan, averaging 0.3 guns per 100 people. Eritrea and Turkmenistan complete the list, each with 0.4. Source: Small Arms Survey.
1. United States — The Gun Capital of the World. With over 393 million firearms owned by civilians, more than its population, the US tops the list by a massive margin. Gun rights are enshrined in the Second Amendment, and ownership ranges from hunting rifles to military-grade semi-automatics.
The places with the highest gun murder rates in 2023 included the District of Columbia (28.5 per 100,000 people), Mississippi (17.6), Louisiana (17.2), Alabama (13.2) and New Mexico (11.1). Those with the lowest gun murder rates included Hawaii (1.5), Utah (1.8), Nebraska (1.8), Idaho (1.8) and Massachusetts (1.8).
How Many Guns Does An Average Gun Owner Possess? The average American owns between one and five firearms. Men are more likely than women to own more than one, and those with only one firearm typically have a handgun or pistol.
First on our list is the United States—a country where guns are deeply woven into its history and identity. The Second Amendment guarantees citizens' rights to bear arms, leading many states like Texas to adopt permissive laws regarding open carry and concealed weapons.
Federally designated areas where weapons are banned, even with a permit: Federal Courthouses* Federal Buildings* Any Building Owned, Leased or Rented by the Federal Government — This includes buildings in national forests which are property of the federal government.
A federal appeals court has ruled that California's ban on openly carrying firearms in large counties violates the Second Amendment, following a case brought by Mark Baird, a resident of rural Siskiyou County.
Which U.S. state has the strictest gun laws? California has the strictest gun laws, having adopted 45 out of the 50 gun safety policies tracked by Everytown Research & Policy.
Which states sold the most guns, adjusted for population? Adjusted for population, Montana, Wyoming and Alaska have the highest gun sales rates in SafeHomes' report. "These states have strong hunting traditions fostered by rural lifestyles and less rigid gun control laws," Gabriele said.
Montana tops the ranking of the states with the highest percentage of gun ownership, with 66.3% of the adult population owning firearms. The state has some of the most relaxed gun control laws in America. No state permit is required to purchase or possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.
The first firearms were invented in China, following the invention of gunpowder.
Finland is a country of hunters and gun enthusiasts. There are approximately 460,000 licence holders and slightly under 1.5 million licensed firearms in Finland.
China, the world's second most populous country, comes third in the ranking with 49.7 million, followed by Pakistan (43.9 million) and Russia (17.6 million). This chart shows the estimated number of civilian-held legal and illicit firearms in 2017.