The two statements:

Guns are a more effective means of homicide.

and

Basically what I am saying here is that the problem isn't the guns, it's the drugs, poverty, gangs, etc. The murders would happen regardless of the means.

Seem to contradict each other. If the people killing other people with guns had to resort to less "efficient" and hands on methods, do you not think that the rate of "sucessful" killings would fall ?