While in both countries gun homicides are about 3/4 committed with handguns, there is an enormous difference in the ratio of gun homicides in general. According to the UNODC Homicides By Firearms, about 67% of homicides in the US are committed with a firearm vs about 7% (the number varies a bit) in the UK.

If their argument is correct, if handgun ownership even at the minuscule 1997 UK level of 0.1% is supposed to be the most important factor in homicide rates then the US with 20-25% gun ownership should have a very low homicide rate. But this clearly is not true.

While in both countries about 3/4 of gun homicides are committed with handguns, there is an enormous difference in the ratio of gun vs non-gun homicides in general. According to the UNODC Homicides By Firearms, about 67% of homicides in the US are committed with a firearm vs about 7% (the number varies a bit) in the UK.

If their argument is correct, if handgun ownership even at the minuscule 1997 UK level of 0.1% is supposed to be the most important negative factor in homicide rates (ie. more legal handguns means less homicides), then the US with 20-25% gun ownership should have a very low homicide rate. But this clearly is not true.

The numbers are cherry-picked.

Very low UK homicide numbers are susceptible to how individual events are reported.

There was a slow upward trend through 2000.

The "spike" happened years after the ban.

US and UK gun crime and ownership are very, very different.

0.1% of the population turned in handguns.

~7% of UK homicides are with a gun, ~67% in the US.

While in both countries about 3/4 gun homicides are committed with handguns, there is an enormous difference in the ratio of gun homicides in general. According to the UNODC Homicides By Firearms, about 67% (90% if limited to just those cases where the type of gun was known) of homicides in the US are committed with a firearm vs about 7% (the number varies a bit) in the UK.

US homicide rates are 5x the UK, yet they have so many more guns.

The US murder rate is the highest in the Western world at about 5 per 100,000 people, whereas the UK is at about 1 per 100,000, but the US has 16 times as many guns.

The numbers are cherry-picked.

Very low UK homicide numbers are susceptible to how individual events are reported.

There was a slow upward trend through 2000.

The "spike" happened years after the ban.

US and UK gun crime and ownership are very, very different.

0.1% of the population turned in handguns.

~7% of UK homicides are with a gun, ~67% in the US.

While in both countries gun homicides are about 3/4 committed with handguns, there is an enormous difference in the ratio of gun homicides in general. According to the UNODC Homicides By Firearms, about 67% of homicides in the US are committed with a firearm vs about 7% (the number varies a bit) in the UK.

US homicide rates are 5x the UK, yet they have so many more guns.

The US murder rate is the highest in the Western world at about 5 per 100,000 people, whereas the UK is at about 1 per 100,000, but the US has 16 times as many guns.

If their argument is correct, if handgun ownership even at the minuscule 1997 UK level of 0.1% is supposed to be the most important factor in homicide rates then the US with 20-25% gun ownership should have a very low homicide rate. But this clearly is not true.

The numbers are cherry-picked.

Very low UK homicide numbers are susceptible to how individual events are reported.

There was a slow upward trend through 2000.

The "spike" happened years after the ban.

US and UK gun crime and ownership are very, very different.

0.1% of the population turned in handguns.

~7% of UK homicides are with a gun, ~67% in the US.

While in both countries gun homicides are about 3/4 committed with handguns, there is an enormous difference in the ratio of gun homicides in general. According to the UNODC Homicides By Firearms, about 67% of homicides in the US are committed with a firearm vs about 7% (the number varies a bit) in the UK.

US homicide rates are 5x the UK, yet they have so many more guns.

The US murder rate is the highest in the Western world at about 5 per 100,000 people, whereas the UK is at about 1 per 100,000, but the US has 16 times as many guns.

If their argument is correct, if handgun ownership even at the minuscule 1997 UK level of 0.1% is supposed to be the most important factor in homicide rates then the US with 20-25% gun ownership should have a very low homicide rate. But this clearly is not true.

The numbers are cherry-picked.

Very low UK homicide numbers are susceptible to how individual events are reported.

There was a slow upward trend through 2000.

The "spike" happened years after the ban.

US and UK gun crime and ownership are very, very different.

0.1% of the population turned in handguns.

~7% of UK homicides are with a gun, ~67% in the US.

While in both countries about 3/4 gun homicides are committed with handguns, there is an enormous difference in the ratio of gun homicides in general. According to the UNODC Homicides By Firearms, about 67% (90% if limited to just those cases where the type of gun was known) of homicides in the US are committed with a firearm vs about 7% (the number varies a bit) in the UK.

US homicide rates are 5x the UK, yet they have so many more guns.

The US murder rate is the highest in the Western world at about 5 per 100,000 people, whereas the UK is at about 1 per 100,000, but the US has 16 times as many guns.