This study compares the number of households owning guns- in 9 regions of the U.S.A. – to the number of firearm suicides in each area. Correlations were found between percentages of firearm owners, firearm suicides & social variables such as percentage of blacks, murder reates, divorce rates, age ,& amount of urbanization. The author asserts that opportunity-based suicide rates may provide different results in regional studies than population-based suicide rates. (VM)