All accidental gunshot fatalities in North Carolina (n=210) were reviewed for 1976-80; some statistics on suicide by firearms (n=2553) during the same period were provided for comparison. White males & victims aged 50-69 had the highest suicide rates (17.2 & about 80 deaths per 100,000 population, respectively). In suicides, handguns were the most commonly used type of firearm (52%). Data is for 1979-82. (KM)