That's very interesting numbers. I can understand why pistol ownership is so low when you have stricter regulations, but I would think Australians would like to own handguns if they were no more regulated than rifles. This got me to start thinking about the rifle to pistol ratio for ownership in the USA. I think the best way to get an idea for that is to look at the firearm manufacturing data. I know for me personally that I lean more to owning more handguns than rifles, to a 60/40 split.
This link has a nice bar graph on firearm manufacturing data for pistol, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and miscellaneous. Where the data is most likely worthless is when it comes to household ownership rates. When people get polled by phone and some stranger ask
if you have guns, I can say personally that
I will say no. I think that is what happens more often today than in the past for we are more sensitive to government intrusion than we used to be. I know other gun owners I have talked with have the same feeling as I, that no would be there response too.
https://www.npr.org/2016/01/05/462017461/guns-in-america-by-the-numbers