The choice of weapons in firearm suicides

We report on the firearms used in 235 suicides in Sacramento County, California, during 1983-85. Handguns were used in 69 per cent of firearm suicides - 65 per cent for males, 88 per cent of females - and in all such deaths among women ages 35 and older. We tested the hypothesis that the choice of firearms by persons committing suicide at home would passively reflect the reported prevalence of firearms by type in households in the region. Handguns were used more frequently (rate ratio 2.00; 95% CI = 1.69, 2.39), and rifles and shotguns less frequently than expected.