What percentage of murders involving guns are committed with licensed guns?

Answer 1

First, you have to tell us what a "licensed gun" is- in most of the US, there is no requirement for licensing of a gun.

The overwhelming majority of privately owned firearms are never used in criminal acts- but by some accounts are used in defense several million times each year.

As the above stated, only a very certain few types of firearms require a license in order to own - primarily military-style weaponry. A license is issued for a specific gun and a specific individual - licenses are NOT transferrable, though a gun which requires licensing can be transferred to another owner who as obtained the proper license. Licenses are usually issued by the federal government, though certain states may also require a state license of guns not covered by the federal government.

However, the vast majority of firearms are required to be registered with authorities - that is, authorities must be notified that the gun is being purchased by person X. This includes private-party transfers and sales, which must also be registered. Registered guns can be sold or given to a new owner, provided the registration is updated (and the new owner is not prohibited from owning a weapon, e.g. a felon).

Most people say "licensed" when they really mean "registered", as they're not aware of the difference between the two concepts.

Overall, statistics are hard to find that aren't twisted by one side or the other. Realistically speaking, one would expect the vast majority of "known assailant" murders (where the victim knew the murderer) to be committed with a registered gun, while the majority of "unknown assailant" murders to be committed with an unregistered (or illegally transferred) weapon.