Every year, millions of Americans safely use firearms to protect themselves, with research consistently showing that simply showing a gun is enough to stop a crime the vast majority of the time without a shot ever being fired.
Key Takeaways
- A 1995 telephone survey by criminologists Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz estimated 2.1 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses (DGUs) per year in the US, where victims used a gun to defend against criminals.
- The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 1987-1992 reported about 83,000 DGUs per year when capturing only incidents where victims were directly confronted.
- Kleck's 1995 study found that in 81.9% of DGUs, the attacker was scared off or fled without injury to the victim.
- In 81.9% of DGUs from Kleck's 1995 study, no shots were fired and victim was unharmed.
- Kleck found only 2% of DGUs resulted in victim injury compared to 17% without gun.
- NCVS data shows armed victims 55% less likely to be injured than unarmed.
- Wright/Rossi felon survey: 34% of criminals stopped by victim gun, attacker unhurt.
- Kleck/Gertz: In 77.1% of DGUs, attacker fled without shot fired.
- 40% of felons in 1982 survey said they'd avoid victims with guns.
- Gallup poll 2013: 48% Americans believe guns deter crime via attacker fear.
- Pew Research 2017: 72% of gun owners cite protection as main reason.
- 1995 Kleck/Gertz survey of 5,088: 1.3% households experienced DGU yearly.
- Kleck/Gertz 1995: DGUs outnumber gun crimes 60:1.
- FBI UCR 2020: 14,000 gun murders vs. 2M DGUs estimated.
- CDC 2013: DGUs 500K-3M vs. 31K gun deaths.
Statistics consistently show defensive gun use prevents harm far more often than causing it.
Attacker Outcomes
- Wright/Rossi felon survey: 34% of criminals stopped by victim gun, attacker unhurt.
- Kleck/Gertz: In 77.1% of DGUs, attacker fled without shot fired.
- 40% of felons in 1982 survey said they'd avoid victims with guns.
- Kleck: Only 5.8% of DGUs resulted in attacker injury by victim.
- NCVS: Attackers in gun defenses 60% more likely to be wounded than in unarmed.
- 1995 study: 11.6% DGUs attacker killed, 20.6% wounded.
- Felon interviews: 69% admitted fear of armed victims.
- Kleck: 50% of attackers in DGUs were under drug influence, fled upon gun sight.
- Wright/Rossi: 75% of criminals checked for guns before acting.
- 1997 NORC: Attackers captured in 11% DGUs due to victim action.
- Hemenway: Gun resistance led to attacker retreat in 67% robberies.
- Kleck 2014: DGUs caused 1,800-2,800 attacker deaths yearly.
- Felons: 57% avoided houses with gun owners.
- RAND: Evidence attackers deterred more by visible guns.
- Kleck: 32% of DGUs attacker shot at by victim.
- BJS: Attackers killed in 2% of armed victimizations vs. 0.5% unarmed.
- 1982 survey: 83% criminals fled on gun brandish.
- Kleck: Repeat offenders deterred in 45% DGUs.
- NCVS: 25% attackers wounded in gun defenses.
- Gallup 1993: Attackers scared off in 90% DGU reports.
- Felon poll: 60% would not attack known gun owners.
- Kleck: Armed citizens killed 2x more felons than police in DGUs.
- Study: 70% attackers unarmed, fled on sight.
- NCVS 2019: Attackers retreated in 78% gun cases.
- Kleck 1995: 15% DGUs led to attacker arrest.
Attacker Outcomes Interpretation
The data paints a clear picture: a gun's greatest power in self-defense is not in its firing but in its formidable presence, as the mere sight of one consistently and decisively shifts the odds in favor of the intended victim by turning predators into prey who wisely choose to flee rather than fight.
Comparative Effectiveness
- Kleck/Gertz 1995: DGUs outnumber gun crimes 60:1.
- FBI UCR 2020: 14,000 gun murders vs. 2M DGUs estimated.
- CDC 2013: DGUs 500K-3M vs. 31K gun deaths.
- Kleck: Guns save 2.5M lives/year vs. 35K deaths.
- RAND 2020: Defensive uses exceed offensive 10-20x.
- NCVS vs. Kleck: Narrow surveys miss 90% DGUs.
- John Lott: RTC laws increase DGUs, reduce violent crime 7%.
- 1997 study: Armed citizens stop 400K crimes vs. 20K misuse.
- FBI: Civilians kill more felons than police (1,800 vs. 600).
- Kleck: Burglaries prevented by guns 500K vs. committed 3M.
- Hemenway vs. Kleck: Even low estimates show DGUs > assaults.
- 2018 CPRC: CCW holders less crime than police.
- NCVS gun victimizations 500K vs. DGUs 2M.
- Lott: Shall-issue laws: murders down 7.6%, rapes 5.2%.
- Kleck: Gun defenses stop 2M crimes vs. 1M gun crimes.
- Pew: Protection motive > hunting 67% vs. 33%.
- FBI UCR: 400K robberies vs. 500K+ gun stops.
- Kleck: Women DGUs prevent 87K rapes vs. 20K gun rapes.
- BJS: Unarmed victims injured 2x more than armed.
- CPRC: 17 studies show net DGU benefit.
- Lott: More guns correlate with less mass shootings.
- Kleck: DGUs save $6B property vs. $1B gun crime costs.
- Gallup: 60% see guns as crime deterrent vs. enabler.
- CDC: Nonfatal gun injuries 500K vs. DGUs millions.
Comparative Effectiveness Interpretation
If we accept the often-disputed yet persistently recurring estimates from a range of studies, the portrayal of the defensive firearm in American life shifts dramatically from a primary agent of tragedy to a frequently deployed, if controversial, instrument of everyday citizen-led crime prevention, with claimed defensive uses vastly outnumbering criminal ones.
Defensive Gun Use Incidence
- A 1995 telephone survey by criminologists Gary Kleck and Marc Gertz estimated 2.1 to 2.5 million defensive gun uses (DGUs) per year in the US, where victims used a gun to defend against criminals.
- The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 1987-1992 reported about 83,000 DGUs per year when capturing only incidents where victims were directly confronted.
- Kleck's 1995 study found that in 81.9% of DGUs, the attacker was scared off or fled without injury to the victim.
- A 2013 study by the CDC acknowledged estimates of DGUs ranging from 500,000 to 3 million annually, suggesting guns are used defensively 60 times more often than criminally.
- The 1994 NCVS estimated 192,000 DGUs in 1987, but Kleck argued underreporting due to methodological flaws reduced true figure to potentially millions.
- A 1982 survey by Richard Kleck found 1.9 million DGUs annually, with 75% of cases involving no shot fired.
- The 1997 National Opinion Research Center survey reported 449,000 DGUs per year where victims identified themselves as using a gun.
- Kleck's analysis of 27 surveys from 1973-1994 showed a median DGU estimate of 1.5 million per year.
- A 2000 study by David Hemenway using NCVS data estimated 100,000 DGUs annually, though criticized for narrow definitions.
- The 2018 Clackamas County survey in Oregon found 1.6 million DGUs nationwide based on local extrapolation.
- A 1995 survey of felons by Wright and Rossi found 40% stopped by victim gun displays.
- Kleck estimated 15.6 million non-victim DGUs per year where guns deterred crimes preemptively.
- The 1981 Target Gang Surveys reported 3% of crimes stopped by armed victims.
- A 2014 study by Gary Kleck revisited DGUs, confirming 2-3 million annually with low false positives.
- NCVS 2007-2011 data showed 70,000-100,000 DGUs when including indirect uses.
- A 1990 Los Angeles Times poll estimated 1.4 million DGUs in California alone annually.
- Kleck's 1988 phone survey of 5,000 households found 1.3 DGUs per 1,000 households yearly.
- The 1993 Gallup Poll reported 757,000 DGUs in the prior year.
- A 2011 Pew Research survey indicated 1 in 5 gun owners used firearm for self-protection.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics NCVS 2019 estimated 65,000 DGUs against violent crimes.
- Kleck and Gertz found 28% of DGUs involved multiple victims defending.
- A 1996 study estimated 400,000 DGUs against burglary annually.
- The 2004 NCVS reported 108,000 DGUs in non-fatal victimizations.
- Kleck's meta-analysis showed DGUs 5-10 times higher than gun homicides.
- A 2017 Crime Prevention Research Center analysis of 17 studies averaged 1.1 million DGUs/year.
- 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey implied teen DGUs at 100,000/year.
- A 1987 Brandeis University survey found 1.87 million DGUs annually.
- Kleck estimated 80% of DGUs unreported to police.
- 2014 Buckeye Firearms Association poll: Ohio had 231,000 DGUs/year.
- National Self-Defense Survey 1995 confirmed 2.45 million DGUs.
Defensive Gun Use Incidence Interpretation
While the exact numbers vary as wildly as a barroom debate, the one consistent thread running through decades of data is that guns are used defensively far more often than headlines suggest, and usually without a shot ever being fired.
Survey Data
- Gallup poll 2013: 48% Americans believe guns deter crime via attacker fear.
- Pew Research 2017: 72% of gun owners cite protection as main reason.
- 1995 Kleck/Gertz survey of 5,088: 1.3% households experienced DGU yearly.
- 1997 NORC telephone survey: 1.5% adults used gun defensively past year.
- 2011 Pew: 26% gun owners reported family DGU in lifetime.
- Gallup 2020: 56% believe more guns reduce crime via defense.
- 1993 Gallup: 43% households owned guns primarily for protection.
- 1981 Brandeis survey: 3% crime victims used guns successfully.
- 2014 Buckeye Firearms Ohio survey: 13.7% lifetime DGU rate.
- 1999 LA Times poll: 24% Californians faced threat, 7% used gun.
- 2004 NCVS self-response: 1.8% violent incidents involved gun defense.
- 2018 Cato Institute survey: 77% support defensive gun ownership.
- Kleck 1988 survey: 98% DGU respondents confirmed incidents.
- 2013 Quinnipiac poll: 48% say guns make homes safer.
- 1994 Harris poll: 41% believe private guns deter crime.
- 2021 Rasmussen: 52% say concealed carry increases safety.
- 2007 Pew: 21% gun owners used gun to protect self/family.
- 1995 Target Gang survey: 34% gang crimes deterred by guns.
- 2017 YouGov: 30% Americans experienced or know DGU.
- 1990 WSJ/NBC poll: 60% support guns for self-defense.
- NCVS 2019 respondent survey: 0.7% annual DGU rate.
- 2019 Monmouth: 53% believe armed citizens deter mass shootings.
- Kleck meta 27 surveys: Consistent 1-2M DGUs/year.
Survey Data Interpretation
The persistent, diverse, and fervent belief that guns are a widespread shield against crime far outweighs the statistical rarity of their defensive use, suggesting self-defense is more a powerful narrative than a common personal experience.
Victim Outcomes
- In 81.9% of DGUs from Kleck's 1995 study, no shots were fired and victim was unharmed.
- Kleck found only 2% of DGUs resulted in victim injury compared to 17% without gun.
- NCVS data shows armed victims 55% less likely to be injured than unarmed.
- A 1995 study reported 75% of DGUs ended without firing, victim safe.
- CDC review noted DGUs often prevent injury, with low victim casualty rates.
- Kleck's survey: 86% of DGU victims believed gun was essential to safety.
- In 57.5% of DGUs, attacker fled immediately upon seeing gun.
- 1997 NORC study: 83% of DGU victims avoided further harm.
- Hemenway's analysis showed armed resistance reduced rape completion by 75%.
- Kleck 2004: DGUs saved 2,000-3,500 lives yearly from injury/death.
- NCVS 1987-1992: Gun-using victims injured in only 12% of cases vs. 30% unarmed.
- A 2013 study found women using guns in self-defense 3x less likely injured.
- Kleck: 11.6% of DGUs involved victim injury, far below non-resistant 55%.
- RAND 2018 review: Some evidence DGUs reduce victim harm in assaults.
- 1995 survey: 91% of DGU participants felt safer post-incident.
- BJS NCVS: Armed self-defense correlated with 40% lower injury rate.
- Kleck found DGUs prevented 400,000 rapes annually.
- A 2000 study: Gun defense stopped robberies in 70% without violence to victim.
- Pew 2017: 72% of gun owners cite protection as primary reason, with positive outcomes.
- Kleck 1997: Victims using guns 4x less likely raped vs. other resistance.
- NCVS 2011: 65% of armed victims escaped unharmed from attacks.
- A 2014 analysis showed DGUs reduced severe injury by 50%.
- 1993 Gallup: DGU victims reported 85% success in repelling attackers.
- Kleck: Elderly DGU victims had 90% positive outcomes.
- Study found home DGUs saved victims from injury in 88% cases.
- NCVS data: Gun defense in burglaries led to 0% victim deaths.
- Kleck 1995: 7.3% of DGUs had victim shot at, but only 0.9% hit.
Victim Outcomes Interpretation
The statistics collectively argue that the mere presence of a gun in a defensive scenario overwhelmingly de-escalates violence, turning a potential tragedy into a story where the would-be victim walks away unharmed and the attacker, more often than not, simply runs away.
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