General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: My INALIENABLE Rights TRUMP Your SECOND Amendment Rights. [View all]LAGC
(5,330 posts)Relying on voluntary admissions isn't very accurate (see Kleck, et. al.) Most people who use guns defensively don't report it, for various reasons, to the police or especially to such invasive telephone surveys.
And while purely anecdotal, I know several people who know of someone who has used a gun defensively to thwart a crime, including a good friend of mine who stopped a strong-arm robbery of a convenience store he worked at by brandishing his carry-piece. No shots were fired, no one had to die, but it was enough to deter the crime and send them running. And I only know of one who has ever had a gun pointed at them in the commission of a crime. But of course, I don't live in a big city where most of the gang-related gun violence occurs, so your mileage may vary.