How many cases of Guns used for Self Defense per year are there in the US?

1. 82

   ketageposted 8 years ago

   How many cases of Guns used for Self Defense per year are there in the US?
   
   Every time I read about gun control, there will be a comment that guns are mainly used for self defense, I am curious, how many actual cases of people using guns for self defense are reported?

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2. 84

   ronbergeronposted 8 years ago

   I have this quote and a link to the source report in my Hub article "Guns - Tools for Protection or Instruments of Death?"
   
   “Almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about 500,000 to more than 3 million.”
   
   That's from a post-Sandy Hook report done by a committee commissioned by President Obama, who isn't known as a gun supporter.

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   1. 82

      ketageposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I would be interested in reading those survey results, the ones I find online are much lower, those figures seem astronomical to me. So hard to find credible sources online
      
      I wish an unbiased party would do a proper study and release the finding

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   2. 84

      ronbergeronposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      I was also surprised by the high numbers. If anything, I would have expected the Obama administration to under-report any positive information regarding firearms.
      
      I'm not sure it's possible to find a truly unbiased party on such a contentious issue.

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   3. 0

      RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Interview actual victims. Those who defended themselves with a gun and those who did not (if they lived through their ordeal) can share the reports that teach the lessons. You will also find grateful people to interview if they defended others.

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   4. 84

      ronbergeronposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Many people wouldn't want to be interviewed for fear of retribution or because they don't want to talk to authorities. Also, many times guns are successfully used for defense there are no shots fired. Showing the gun de-escalates the situation.

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   5. 0

      RTalloniposted 8 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, very true, few victims would want to talk about the ordeal even if they had successfully defended themselves or others. The image most people have of such situations comes from the skewed world of entertainment, like war so wrongly portrayed.

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3. 50

   bradmasterOCcalposted 8 years ago

   Guns for self defense don't have to be used unless there is a real threat, the same thing is true of insurance. Until something happens you don't need either of them, but if something happens, and you don't have either?

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