Is Rolling Stone’s “Five Most Dangerous Guns in America,” The Worst Firearms Story Ever?

Rolling Stone’s website drew viral scorn for its list of the “Five Most Dangerous Guns in America,” posted last week. “Five Most Dangerous Guns” has to be the most simple-minded piece of reporting on firearms ever, and I realize that’s a pretty bold statement. Based on firearms trace data from ATF and from FBI statistics, Rolling Stone contributor Kristen Gwynne lists the five most dangerous guns in America as:

1.Pistols
2.Revolvers
3.Rifles
4.Shotguns
And, finally:
5.Derringers

Interestingly, the author notes that “assault weapons” (which I thought were rifles) don’t make the list, because “they are used in a small minority of homicides and other gun crimes.”

The Internet is having a field day with this one. The story has been picked up, reprinted and widely mocked, as it should be. As one commenter put it: “it’s kind of like writing an article on the deadliest bears then listing ‘Big bears,’ ‘Little bears,’ ‘Bears with fur.’”