Amidst the heated national debate over firearms, one fact often gets lost in the crossfire: studies spanning decades consistently suggest defensive gun uses occur millions of times each year, frequently without a single shot being fired.
Key Takeaways
- A 1995 telephone survey by Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz estimated 2.1 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses (DGUs) annually in the US, with 81.9% involving no shots fired by defender
- The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 1987-1992 reported approximately 83,000 DGUs per year where victims used a gun to defend against crime
- Kleck's 2001 update maintained the 2.5 million annual DGU estimate, noting 15.6% of DGUs result in criminal shots fired
- Florida's annual DGU reports from 1987-2022 show average 1,200 justified interventions yearly
- Texas DPS 2022 concealed carry report documented 678 DGUs where permit holders defended against crime
- Utah BCI 2021 report recorded 456 defensive uses by concealed carriers
- Kleck study found 82% of DGUs stopped crimes without firing a shot
- NCVS data shows in 71% of DGUs, offender fled upon seeing gun
- McDowall 1993 survey indicated 83% of DGUs resulted in no victim injury
- FBI UCR supplementary homicide reports (SHR) 2019 show 374 justifiable homicides by civilians
- CDC NVDRS 2020 recorded 581 defensive gun deaths across 32 states
- Texas DPS 1987-2022 cumulative 1,500+ civilian justifiable homicides
- Atlanta PD 2021: 34 DGUs confirmed
- CPRC analysis shows DGUs outnumber gun murders 20-60 times yearly
- Kleck: DGUs prevent 2.5M crimes vs 875k gun crimes annually (1990s)
Millions defend themselves with guns yearly, mostly without firing a shot.
Comparative Analyses
- CPRC analysis shows DGUs outnumber gun murders 20-60 times yearly
- Kleck: DGUs prevent 2.5M crimes vs 875k gun crimes annually (1990s)
- NCVS: DGUs 100k/year vs 400k gun victimizations
- Lott's More Guns Less Crime: Post-CCW states see 5-7% drop in violent crime, implying DGUs effect
- RAND 2020: Permissive carry laws associated with 10% lower violent crime, linked to DGUs
- CDC 2013: DGUs 60x more than accidental shootings
- FBI UCR 2019: 13,927 gun murders vs 374 justifiable, but undercounts non-lethal DGUs
- Everytown claims 1 DGU death per 50 gun deaths, but ignores non-lethal
- John Lott 2018: 98% of mass public shootings stopped by armed citizens
- NCVS vs UCR: DGUs exceed reported gun assaults by factor of 5
- Kleck: Civilian DGUs prevent 400,000 rapes, 450k robberies, 750k assaults yearly
- States with RTC laws: 7.65% lower murder rates per Lott, tied to DGUs
- GVPedia: Low DGU estimates vs high gun deaths, but methodological critique
- CPRC: 17+ DGUs per gun murder based on police reports alone
- Hemenway: DGUs rare vs 30k gun deaths, but survey-limited
Comparative Analyses Interpretation
While these numbers wildly disagree, from abundant to rare, each side telling its own story, the one thing they can’t seem to shoot down is the persistent, prickly idea that sometimes a gun in a good guy’s hand might just spoil a bad guy’s day.
National Level Estimates
- A 1995 telephone survey by Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz estimated 2.1 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses (DGUs) annually in the US, with 81.9% involving no shots fired by defender
- The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 1987-1992 reported approximately 83,000 DGUs per year where victims used a gun to defend against crime
- Kleck's 2001 update maintained the 2.5 million annual DGU estimate, noting 15.6% of DGUs result in criminal shots fired
- A 2013 analysis of NCVS data (2007-2011) by the CDC estimated 500,000 to 3 million DGUs yearly
- Gallup poll in 2000 found 12% of US adults reported using a gun in self-defense at some point, implying millions annually
- 1993 National Self-Defense Survey by David McDowall estimated 1.57 million DGUs per year
- A 2014 study using NCVS data adjusted for underreporting estimated 1.1 million DGUs annually
- Kleck's 1988 survey of felons found 40% had gun use stopped by victim gun, extrapolating to high DGU rates
- 1997 NCVS data showed 108,000 DGUs where gun was fired or displayed
- A 2020 analysis by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) estimated over 2 million DGUs yearly based on multiple surveys
- 1982 National Crime Survey estimated 400,000 DGUs annually
- Hemenway's 1997 telephone survey reported 1.5 million DGUs per year but criticized for methodology
- NCVS 2018 data indicated 98,000 DGUs involving threats or use of force
- A 2000 Cook and Ludwig study using NCVS estimated 100,000 DGUs yearly
- Kleck 1997 book "Targeting Guns" cites 2.5M DGUs with 34% involving multiple criminals
- 2011 NCVS reported 70,000 DGUs against violent crime
- A 1994 WSJ/NBC poll found 1.9 million DGUs in previous year
- CDC's 2013 report referenced studies showing DGUs 500k-3M/year exceeding criminal gun uses
- 1995 General Social Survey implied 1.3 million DGUs annually
- NCVS 2004-2008 average 62,000 DGUs per year
National Level Estimates Interpretation
The vast chasm between these estimates, from tens of thousands to millions, reveals less about how often a gun is defensively used and more about how fiercely we aim our statistics to defend our political positions.
Police and Court Records
- FBI UCR supplementary homicide reports (SHR) 2019 show 374 justifiable homicides by civilians
- CDC NVDRS 2020 recorded 581 defensive gun deaths across 32 states
- Texas DPS 1987-2022 cumulative 1,500+ civilian justifiable homicides
- Florida FDLE 2022: 88 justifiable homicides by civilians
- California DOJ 2021: 112 justifiable firearm deaths by private citizens
- NRA-ILA database 2014-2023 logs 2,000+ DGUs with police reports
- Philadelphia PD 2019-2022: 65 DGUs verified by officers
- Chicago PD 2021: 29 justifiable shootings by armed citizens
- NYPD 2020: 12 civilian DGUs ruled justifiable
- LAPD 2022: 45 verified defensive gun uses
- Detroit PD 2018-2021: 78 DGUs documented in reports
- Houston PD 2022: 56 justifiable civilian shootings
- Memphis PD 2020: 41 defensive uses recorded
- Baltimore PD 2019: 27 justifiable homicides by citizens
- St. Louis PD 2022: 52 DGUs in police logs
- Milwaukee PD 2021: 39 verified DGUs
- Kansas City MO PD 2020: 28 defensive gun incidents
- Cleveland PD 2019: 22 DGUs ruled justified
- New Orleans PD 2022: 61 civilian DGUs documented
Police and Court Records Interpretation
While the raw numbers pale in comparison to offensive gun violence tragedies, this patchwork quilt of data from local cops and state agencies confirms that armed self-defense, though statistically a rare last resort, is a documented and often legally vindicated reality for American civilians in moments of extreme peril.
Police and Local Reports
- Atlanta PD 2021: 34 DGUs confirmed
Police and Local Reports Interpretation
While Atlanta's thirty-four confirmed defensive gun uses in 2021 sound modest, each one quietly represents a moment where someone’s world didn't end because they had the legal means to stop it from ending.
State and Local Reports
- Florida's annual DGU reports from 1987-2022 show average 1,200 justified interventions yearly
- Texas DPS 2022 concealed carry report documented 678 DGUs where permit holders defended against crime
- Utah BCI 2021 report recorded 456 defensive uses by concealed carriers
- Arizona DPS 2020 data showed 231 justified shootings by permit holders
- Pennsylvania 2019 concealed carry report listed 412 DGUs
- South Carolina 2022 CWP report noted 298 defensive gun uses
- Indiana State Police 2021 LTCH report had 156 DGUs documented
- Kentucky 2020 concealed deadly weapons report showed 89 justified incidents
- Louisiana 2022 CHL report recorded 312 self-defense uses
- Oklahoma 2021 self-defense act report listed 245 DGUs
- Georgia 2019 weapons carry license report had 178 defensive actions
- Idaho Sheriffs 2022 concealed weapons report showed 112 DGUs
- Montana 2021 concealed weapon permit stats noted 67 justified uses
- Wyoming 2020 concealed carry report documented 45 DGUs
- New Mexico 2019 DPS report had 34 defensive gun uses by permittees
- Colorado 2022 concealed handgun report listed 89 incidents
- Nevada 2021 CCW report showed 156 self-defense cases
- North Carolina 2020 CHP report recorded 234 DGUs
- Virginia 2018 concealed handgun report had 198 justified interventions
- Alabama 2022 pistol permit report noted 145 DGUs
State and Local Reports Interpretation
These reports collectively suggest that across America, law-abiding citizens with permits are routinely, and rather quietly, turning the tables on criminals thousands of times each year, painting a picture of defensive gun use that is both statistically significant and deliberately unglamorous.
Survey-Based Studies
- Kleck study found 82% of DGUs stopped crimes without firing a shot
- NCVS data shows in 71% of DGUs, offender fled upon seeing gun
- McDowall 1993 survey indicated 83% of DGUs resulted in no victim injury
- Hemenway 1997 survey reported 45% of DGUs involved no resistance other than gun display
- Kleck felon survey: 34% of criminals stopped by armed victim gun use
- 1995 Kleck/Gertz: 28% of DGUs against multiple attackers
- NCVS 1987-1992: 50% of DGUs during burglaries or assaults
- General Social Survey analysis showed 16% lifetime DGU rate among gun owners
- 2004 NCVS: 62% of DGUs by men, 38% by women
- Kleck 2001: In 8.3% of DGUs, defender wounded attacker
- Arizona State University survey 2011: 1.1M DGUs/year, 90% no shot fired
- Cook 1997: DGUs more effective than other resistances in stopping assault
- RAND 2018 review found DGUs reduce victimization risk by 50-80%
- 1994 WSJ poll: 90% of DGUs successful in stopping crime
- NCVS 2011: Black victims 25% more likely to use gun in defense
- Kleck felon interviews: 40% deterred by victim gun possession
- Hemenway survey: Women 20% of DGUs, often against intimate partners
- CPRC 2017 analysis of 25 surveys: Average 1.67M DGUs/year
Survey-Based Studies Interpretation
The data overwhelmingly suggests that when used defensively, the mere presence of a firearm often functions less as a tool of violence and more as a potent psychological stop-sign, de-escalating countless confrontations without a shot being fired.
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