òòò½Íø Review: Insights
ISSN 2640-205X (Print) | ISSN 2640-2068 (Online)
Preferences for Firearms
òòò½Íø Review: Insights
(pp. 340–56)
Abstract
This paper provides a critical input into crafting effective firearms policy: an understanding of consumer demand for guns. We estimate individual-level price sensitivity and substitution patterns across gun types using stated-choice experiments. We find that potential firearm buyers are price insensitive overall but that first-time buyers are the most price sensitive. We also estimate considerable substitution from semiautomatic long guns (sometimes called "assault weapons") to handguns, which are associated with more crimes per gun.Citation
Moshary, Sarah, Bradley T. Shapiro, and Sara Drango. 2025. "Preferences for Firearms." òòò½Íø Review: Insights 7 (3): 340–56. DOI: 10.1257/aeri.20230435Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- D12 Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
- D72 Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
- K23 Regulated Industries and Administrative Law
- K42 Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
- L51 Economics of Regulation
- L64 Other Machinery; Business Equipment; Armaments
- M31 Marketing