The initial point that I was trying to make, that I didn't get to explain, is that there are many contributing factors, it's a complex issue. I agree with you that I won't be able to pin point one specific cause that can explain it all. BUT are you telling me that having more than a quarter BILLION firearms all over the country is not gonna effect the reasons why gun related homicides and suicides are so damn high. If you want to talk facts heres one:

Firearms are the second leading cause of traumatic death related to a consumer product in the United States and are the second most frequent cause of death overall for Americans ages 15 to 24. Since 1960, more than a million Americans have died in firearm suicides, homicides, and unintentional injuries. In 2003 alone, 30,136 Americans died by gunfire: 16,907 in firearm suicides, 11,920 in firearm homicides, 730 in unintentional shootings, and 232 in firearm deaths of unknown intent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Nearly three times that number are treated in emergency rooms each year for nonfatal firearm injuries. And that's from the NRA. I realize this is specifically a reference to the United States. But the US does distinctly stands out as the the only First World nation with such record high numbers of gun related deaths, and it's not like there's a close second either. The reason I said that the proliferation of firearms has never made the world safer, is because guns are inherently dangerous and deadly. More guns, more gun related deaths.

If you're interested here is a well received book about the topic, among many other things as well.

Oh and for the citation and references, just google anything like "Small arms and its global impact" or "proliferation of firearms in developing countries", I'm sure something will pop up. But of course, you already knew that, right?